So from Bangels Cricket Club we go to INDIA to face arguably the best test side in the world ( they drew the series in Aus in my eyes they never lost 2-1) you tell me who else can boast beating the AUS in a test match in the last 4 years.......... uh INDIA !! oi oi oi ....

So SA go to India with Robin Petersen in hands to take wickets .........right !

Okay i personally dont think SA can beat india in a test match in India . lets face up the players

Smith / Tendulkar 1pt India
Mc Kenzie / Sehwag SA
Kallis / Dravid SA
Amla / Ganguly Ind
Gibbs / Laxman Ind
De Vil / Singh Ind
Bouchy / Dhoni Ind
Botha / Kumble Ind
Harris / Harbhajan Ind
Morkel / RP Ind
Steyn / Sharma or Zaheer SA

So I see SA with 3 pts to India's 8 !!!

Backup plan SA got Duminy , USE him but who do we drop ??? he is class.... Amla and Prince are under pressure
SA also have Peterson , enough said

Then we forget the hold war horses NEL AND NTINI and even KLUSENER , i would phone him lol ....

As for India their team is settled except for Sehwag so keep warm Ghambir/Sharma you might be needed....

whats your views ?

Sehwag is a class act. Some may say that he's lacking in consistency, but he consistently lifts himself for the big occasion in Test cricket- look at his record against Australia, Pakistan and South Africa. I think it's safe to say that those are the three countries with the best pace attack, and I think no one among today's opening batsmen can claim to be a better player of pace bowling than Sehwag. And I certainly don't think you can say that McKenzie's better on the strength of a double-century against Bangladesh.

Waiting for Racheal to jump in here...

Welcome to the forums Quattro. Interesting post here.

Here are my thoughts/comments:

I do not see SA winning the series. I see a lot of errors in your post. Firsly, India do not open with Tendulkar. I would like to see Sehwag play as he made a huge difference against Australia. I think that India should forget about playing Yuvraj in the tests. I would go for

1. Jaffer
2. Sehwag
3. Laxman
4. Tendulkar
5. Dravid
6. Ganguly
7. Dhoni
8. Kumble
9. RP Singh
10. Zaheer
11. Sharma

Of course, India may choose to drop Jaffer for Pathan but I do not like to see Pathan open the batting. India could also go for the extra spinner but the pace trio of RP, Sharma and Zaheer have been in superb form recently. Besides, Sehwag is a better spinner than SA's no1.

Secondy, Gibbs will not play and neither will Duminy. Duminy may be class but he is the worst player of spin in the South African team. Personally, I would like to see Gibbs play as he is experienced and has toured India before. He is also the best player of spin in the SA side. However, I cannot see SA changing the team from the one that played Bangladesh. This means that Gibbs wont be in the squad and Duminy will be 12th man. Also, your attack on Robin Peterson is unwarranted. He only played because Harris (No1 spinner) and Botha(no2 spinner) were injured. He did however perform better than Botha did, so I suggest you give him a break. He will not be in the test squad IMO but he does not deserve your criticism. Also, why is Amla and Prince under pressure??? You sound like the SA press here attacking the "quota" players. Prince has been the most consistent SA batsman along with Kallis over the past 2 years and you are saying that his place is in jeopardy. Amla has scored the 2nd most runs this summer behind Kallis. Yes, they may not be the most flamboyant ar stylish batsman but they have been scoring runs (which is what batsman are supposed to do). You should be looking at AB de Villiers and Smith. Just cause they scored against Bangladesh and WI (the 2 worst test teams at the moment) does not mean that their places should be safe. Smith has been pathetic for 2 years now. SA will go with this team IMO.

1. Smith
2. Mckenzie (not a natural opener and will struggle on this tour IMO. I like the kid though)
3. Amla
4. Kallis
5. Prince
6. AB de Villiers
7. Boucher
8. Morne Morkel (Watch out for this guy.)
9. Harris
10. Steyn
11. Ntini


As for Klusener, he is rubbish. He should not have played test cricket IMO. He was carried in the test team and was only picked on reputation.

The series could be close and I am glad that SA played Bangladesh first as their spinners have given SA a decent preparation. They have now also been on the subcontinent for over a month now which will help us to get used to the conditions. Kumble will play a huge role and I think that Sharma and Zaheer in particular will cause the SA batsman problems. Another concern is that Tendulkar looks like he is back to his best. SA will once again rely on Kallis but I think that Amla will do well in these conditions. Smith is a hit and hope. SA's strength lies in the bowling though but Ntini normally struggles in India. Morkel and Steyn will test all the Indian's though. Harris is a decent spinner but the Indians rarely have problems with spin. Kallis's bowling could also play a key role. its the number 2 and 3 teams in the world so we should expect a good contest. India are not no1 as many may think. Aus are still a class above although the other teams can at least compete with them now.

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434, world record for the shortest period. Whos choking now?

Welcome to the forums Quattro. Interesting post here.

Here are my thoughts/comments:

I do not see SA winning the series. I see a lot of errors in your post. Firsly, India do not open with Tendulkar. I would like to see Sehwag play as he made a huge difference against Australia. I think that India should forget about playing Yuvraj in the tests. I would go for


Yeah made a booboo but they dropped him in the last test Mr Jaffer in favour or Sehwag when down under if i recall correclty or was it for Karthik ? anyhoo i think Sehwag and Tendulkar up front would be good or even Saurav......

They wont forget Yuvraj he is next in line if anybody fails of Lax/Drav or even Jaffer but Sehwag will play....


1. Jaffer / Yuvraj / Pathan then stick Ganguly up the order ................
2. Sehwag
3. Laxman
4. Tendulkar
5. Dravid
6. Ganguly
7. Dhoni
8. Kumble
9. RP Singh
10. Zaheer ( i doubt it dude , Harbhajan will play in INDIA two spinners mate !!!! so who goes for him???
11. Sharma

Of course, India may choose to drop Jaffer for Pathan but I do not like to see Pathan open the batting. India could also go for the extra spinner but the pace trio of RP, Sharma and Zaheer have been in superb form recently. Besides, Sehwag is a better spinner than SA's no1.

Yip PATHAN could come in more than likely he will so i dont see place for JAFFER in the side ... Yip but i rate Harris i think he is class..... no thanks to Botha or Peterson really , Botha is better than peterson though.....


Secondy, Gibbs will not play and neither will Duminy. Duminy may be class but he is the worst player of spin in the South African team. Personally, I would like to see Gibbs play as he is experienced and has toured India before. He is also the best player of spin in the SA side. However, I cannot see SA changing the team from the one that played Bangladesh. This means that Gibbs wont be in the squad and Duminy will be 12th man. Also, your attack on Robin Peterson is unwarranted. He only played because Harris (No1 spinner) and Botha(no2 spinner) were injured. He did however perform better than Botha did, so I suggest you give him a break. He will not be in the test squad IMO but he does not deserve your criticism. Also, why is Amla and Prince under pressure??? You sound like the SA press here attacking the "quota" players. Prince has been the most consistent SA batsman along with Kallis over the past 2 years and you are saying that his place is in jeopardy. Amla has scored the 2nd most runs this summer behind Kallis. Yes, they may not be the most flamboyant ar stylish batsman but they have been scoring runs (which is what batsman are supposed to do). You should be looking at AB de Villiers and Smith. Just cause they scored against Bangladesh and WI (the 2 worst test teams at the moment) does not mean that their places should be safe. Smith has been pathetic for 2 years now. SA will go with this team IMO.


Hey bud I am quota LOL i am just to let you know so no racial tension here just honest fair criticism ! Peterson is of no way SA material not a chance in hell , he should not have been in the world cup squad period we better with Tshabalala or even D.Smit from the Dolphins plus he can keep and ACTUALLY bat not like Peterson......

Prince yeah he is a form player but we shall see come India he will fail , Amla i sitll have my doubts keep Duminy and Gibbs warm on the bench mate...... then again Gibbs will play cause of experience gainst spin so he is a shoo in , Duminy is next in if anyone fails so accept it and i think he is good enough to play well in India now... he is good against spin mate...... i would know !!! lol ....

I have doubts about De Vil too he aint consistent and needs a damn good season this time against India and England otherwise time to try someone new like Arno Jacobs / Henry Davids / Puttick etc...... they all agile and 2 of them can actually keep to if BOUCHY WANTS TO HAVE A BOWL LOL !!!!

Yip we cannot judge on scores against Bangels they no hopers !! :P


1. Smith
2. Mckenzie (not a natural opener and will struggle on this tour IMO. I like the kid though) YIP HE IS A LEGEND !
3. Amla
4. Kallis
5. Pince sorry mate GIBBS for AMLA or PRINCE !! we shall see though
6. AB de Villiers
7. Boucher
8. Morne Morkel (Watch out for this guy.) obv he will play he is pure speed and bounce ganguly beware ....
9. Harris
10. Steyn
11. Ntini or BOTHA 2 spinners in INDIA MATE !! kallis can swing and reverse the ball


As for Klusener, he is rubbish. He should not have played test cricket IMO. He was carried in the test team and was only picked on reputation.


OI DONT DISS ZULU he was pure aggression and used to score runs and take wickets dont hate man he was given a raw deal by UCBSA !!!



The series could be close and I am glad that SA played Bangladesh first as their spinners have given SA a decent preparation. They have now also been on the subcontinent for over a month now which will help us to get used to the conditions. Kumble will play a huge role and I think that Sharma and Zaheer in particular will cause the SA batsman problems. Another concern is that Tendulkar looks like he is back to his best. SA will once again rely on Kallis but I think that Amla will do well in these conditions. Smith is a hit and hope. SA's strength lies in the bowling though but Ntini normally struggles in India. Morkel and Steyn will test all the Indian's though. Harris is a decent spinner but the Indians rarely have problems with spin. Kallis's bowling could also play a key role. its the number 2 and 3 teams in the world so we should expect a good contest. India are not no1 as many may think. Aus are still a class above although the other teams can at least compete with them now.[/quote]

Yip tight series here 2/3 officialy i know but i reckon IND can beat AUS and well nobody else came close since 2005 !!! Kumble will be tough and so will sharma / zaheer and not forgetting RP he is class too ...... Morkel and Steyn will give the indians hedaches for sure !!! Harris will get wickets ........ Kallis will get runs and wickets he is pure classsssssssssssssssssss

Fair comments Quattro.

I was just kidding about the quota players . You are not giving any reasons for your points. Why would India open with Tendulkar. I would prefer Jaffer but if Jaffer does not play India would go with Pathan (opened against Australia in the last match) or Dravid. There is noway that Yuvraj or Tendulkar will open. Ganguly I admit is a possibility but I think that he will struggle at the top of the order. Harris is a decent spinner and Peterson I agree is rubbish but then so was Boje and yet he played many a game. Harris will play.

You keep on mentioning Gibbs and Duminy. I am a Gibbs fan, see my name but unfortunately only 16 players can make the squad and with Duminy in the squad there is no place for Gibbs. So please do not mention Gibbs and Duminy in the same squad as its impossible. There is also no way SA will drop Amla or Prince. Like I said before, if anyone needs to be dropped its de Villiers and Smith. Look, we need to be realistic here, yes I too like de Villiers but cricket is played with more than talent.

I am from CT so I too support the cobras and I am telling you that Duminy is a poor player of spin. Please go and look up his previous record in Sri Lanka. I love the guy, he is class but he wont succeed in India. I hope that he does not get a game. We are better off sticking with our current batting line up. I too played school cricket against Duminy, so I will know.

There is no way SA will play 2 spinners. Are you seriously suggesting we drop Ntini. IMO it will be Steyn Ntini and Harris as definite starters. It will be between Morkel and Nel for the final place. Botha will not and should not play with Harris.

Lastly, we are talking test cricket here. Yes Klusener was a legend in 1 day cricket but he should have been no where near the test team.

PS: good to see a fellow SA on the forums. We are very scarce.

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434, world record for the shortest period. Whos choking now?

Finally an exciting test coming up for SA!!!!!!

Smith - Not his biggest fan (damned KES boy) ... got a feeling he may let us down again but maybe he has brought with him confidence from the previous tests...but got a feeling he will exposed yet again...hope he proves me wrong)
Gibbs
McKenzie (I always did like him...has had a tough time getting selected again...but he is more mature and i think deserves a chance, if he fails replace with Amla who I think may enjoy the conditions)
Kallis
Prince (he is solid at Test level)
AB
Boucher
M Morkel (excited about seeing how he goes)
Harris (prefer him on spin...i have criticised his fielding..but he seems to be getting marginally better, I like that we have the option of a second spinner.)
Steyn
Ntini

I think that that should be a competitive team...I cannot wait!!

I think we still short a batsmen playa....

Smith
Gibbs
McKenzie
Kallis
Prince / Amla
Ab
Boucher
....................................need a allrounder
Morkel
harris
Steyn

Looks like it will be a bowler Ntini or Nel depending on form ....... guess we dont have an allrounder

So Theron make massive steps soon please , philander get your batting better or lastly Arno Jacobs work on your spin .....

Wazzup peeps ?

Smith / Tendulkar 1pt India ----- OK
Mc Kenzie / Sehwag SA ------- TIE. Sehwag can blow hot or cold, but when on song he has the edge.
Kallis / Dravid SA --------------TIE
Amla / Ganguly Ind ------------OK
Gibbs / Laxman Ind ------------TIE. Gibbs can be devastating if in form
De Vil / Singh Ind ------------- Unknown. I know nothing about Cruella's brother while Yuvraj is unreliable.
Bouchy / Dhoni Ind ------------TIE. Boucher is as good a batsman as Dhoni and a good player on slow wickets.
Botha / Kumble Ind ------------ 2 points to India
Harris / Harbhajan Ind ---------OK, provided "Bhajji" has got over his Monkey gremlins
Morkel / RP Ind ---------------OK
Steyn / Sharma or Zaheer SA --OK. Even with Zaheer's experience & Sharma's talent, Steyn gets the edge.

i doubt india will have zaheer for the 1st test(he is in inury list)
and also for the 1st test there may be a 3 pacer/2 spinner attack from the indian side(i mean not selecting jaffer instead going for pathan) jaffer is woefully out of form so i hope selectors don't pick him for the 1st test
don't know how the chennai wicket is gonna play this time
but traditionally the wicket here is one of those tough dust bowls where most often than not the first innings score decides the the result
Kumble will be very handy(one of his favt hunting ground)so does bhaji (personally i don't like his antics and inconsistent bowling-talks a lot does very little)
Should be a cracker of the game though

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Heat Sucks-Red Death

Yeah hey we in for a good series pity its so short , i reckon SA can win this if the top order fire and they pick my team (Smith,Mcka,Amla,Kallis,Gibbs,DeVil,Bouchy,????,Mo rkel,Harris,Steyn ?= ntini i guess.....) so good luck to SA in the indian's playground ............ India have a tremendous batting lineup and i mean Sehwag/Pathan/Tendulkar/Dravid/Ganguly/Dhoni to add to their new found pace bowlers SA are in for a tough series..... if they draw it well done SA if they win it then AUS beware but a loss basically kills hopes of tackling AUS come year end....

Cant wait for it 2 weeks still to go before they start with a warm up match and that will say alot ! i hope Duminy does well and gets a test chance , we shall see.....

Watch out for Theron / Philander / Elgar / Jacobs they should feature in the coming year , oh well i hope so...