IndvsSA Jo'burg Test 2013: Ishant Sharma does damage to South Africa top order, Shami and Zaheer pitch in.

India put up a very good performance with the ball after dismal show with the bat on the second day of the Johannesburg Test at the Wanderers in South Africa.

Resuming to bat with overnight score of 5/255 the Indian batting collapsed for 280 all out.

The bowlers for South Africa were relieved a lot as the last recognized batting pair of MS Dhoni and 

Ajinkya Rahane hardly managed to disturb the scoreboard.

Vernon Philander scalped four wickets in the process and was the most destructive.

South Africa started cautiously with Graeme Smith and Alviro Peterson at the crease as the opening pair. Duo dodged the opening spell and were looking quite comfortable until Alviro Peterson was out.

Hashim Amla came to the crease to join company with his skipper, then Graeme Smith was dropped in the slips by Ashwin off Zaheer Khan. 

It looked to be a costly miss, as the runs started to flow for South Africa.

Until Ishant Sharma with his decisive in-swingers removed Hashim Amla clean bowled offering no shot and trapping Jacques Kallis at the crease, and then Smith was trapped leg before by Zaheer Khan.

South Africa was 2/130 and soon collapsed to 6/146 until Philander and Du Plesis offered some late resistance to Indian onslaught with the ball.

Mohammed Shami took the fifth and the sixth wickets for India in the same over to send back, JP Duminy and AB Devilliers with some good bowling.

Though initially South Africa looked to bat comfortably against Indian bowlers, but soon was exposed to a fine display of rare pace bowling from the Indian trio.

Though Ashwin bowled a few overs but it was the pace battery of India that did most of the job on the second day.

Pitch offered variable bounce through out the day, with many balls keeping low and should have affected the batsmen’s reading of the pitch bounce and pace.

Hashim Amla might have expected the ball to bounce over the wicket but the ball nipped in sharply without the bounce the batsman was expecting.

These are the indications that Indian batsmen should keep in mind and try to play forward instead of staying back at the crease.

The feet movement and the ability to leave the ball out side of off, ability to duck well directed bouncers and ability to resist the temptation to drive the ball through covers should help the batsmen. And shots on the rise when the ball is in the air and seaming should be resisted by the batsmen.

In the conditions like in South Africa the ball does a lot on the pitch as well in the air.

Batsmen should concentrate hard to give India a chance in this crucial Test match of the series.

One thing the South Africa batsmen did good was ducking the well directed bouncers, they played them well and that is one of differences the India batsmen should concentrate on ahead in the second innings.

How long the South African tail will wag will be interesting to see.

Valleyz.Blog

IndvsSA Jo'burg Test 2013:India posts a steady 5/255 after a positive decision by the Indian Captain

Captain positive MS Dhoni won the toss and took a positive decision to bat first, India posted a steady 5/255 taking cue from an inspiring century from Virat Kohli on a fiery Wanderer’s pitch.

It was surprising to many analysts around the world, that why would a captain put in line his batsmen against a fiery spell of fast bowling on a fresh Wanderer’s pitch from one of the world’s best bowling lineups.

Fortune favors the brave to say the least, and after both the opener’s were sent back to the pavilion, slightly disproving the decision of the captain, a watchful Virat Kohli and an equally adept Cheteshwar Pujara saw to it that the pace battery takes rest after their onslaught.

Just when things began to fall in place for India after 2 early wickets, a casual yes and no left Cheteshwar Pujara well short of crease. 

But Virat Kohli knew the importance of his wicket and knew that he need to bat long for India, scored a brilliant century which had all the hallmarks of an established batsman.

Shot selection from some of the Indian top order batsman is poor and that’s where Rohit Sharma can concentrate little bit harder to see that, on seaming wicket like at Jo’burg the ball travels at pace giving little time for the batsmen to drive through the covers on the rise.

Rahane dug out harder and is holding on 43 not out with Dhoni in company, and Ashwin to follow there is still some batting left in tail of the Indian line up.

I think 400 would give India time to stay in the Test match and a total of 450 plus will give it a chance to throw some questions back at the hosts.

One of the important lessons from the first day for the top order India batsmen is to read the situation around well and play accordingly, the shot selection was not desirable to see from some of the batsmen who got out cheaply.

And that’s where the experience in all rounder Jacques Kallis comes in to play, he talks Virat Kohli to play onto a bad ball on the rise to give a simple catch to a mid-on to wake him up from the deep slumber, lost his wicket when he could have gone on for more easily, after scoring the century. Yes, he talks back at himself, every time he gets out to a silly shot.

South Africa bowlers were right on the money, but some home work by the Indian batsmen stood them in good stead with all the batsmen keen to leave the ball outside of off-stump except the one played by Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan had no clue to duck on to a well directed bouncer from Dale Steyn.

Vernon Philander was probing and Mornie Morkel was at his best, including a catch drop by Hashim Amla which was a little bit difficult of his bowling.

India should try and carefully hold on to the marginal good first innings total and build upon it to stay in the crucial Test match at Wanderer’s.

Valleyz.Blog