All posts tagged: south africa vs india 2023/24

Not Good, Average Or Poor. ICC Match Referee Announces Cape Town Test Pitch Rating

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After a 1.5-day end finish to the second Test between India and South Africa, a lot has been said and written about the pitch that was used in the match. Team India emerged triumphant in the contest but not before 23 wickets fell on the opening day. India captain Rohit Sharma also publicly criticised the indifferent verdicts from match referees when it comes to early conclusion of contests in India and overseas. Now, ICC match referee Chris Broad has announced his rating for the Newlands pitch. The match referee has given an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating to the pitch used in the second Test between India and South Africa, also handing a demerit point. “The pitch in Newlands was very difficult to bat on. The ball bounced quickly and sometimes alarmingly throughout the match, making it difficult to play shots. Several batters were hit on the gloves and many wickets also fell due to the awkward bounce,” Broad said. ICC has rated India vs South Test match in Cape Town pitch as “Unsatisfactory”. pic.twitter.com/huSzmiHoBN — CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) …

“Haven’t Won ICC Trophies But…”: Ravichandran Ashwin’s Fiery Reply To Michael Vaughan’s Dig

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India’s tour of South Africa didn’t produce the sort of result the team was hoping for as Rohit Sharma‘s side lost the first Test by a huge margin, squandering a big opportunity to win a series in South Africa. India’s poor show in the Test series opener prompted former England captain to brand the team one of the most ‘underachieving’ in world cricket. Vaughan’s statement even made some former Indian cricketers echoe his comments but veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin isn’t in agreement. Ashwin, in a video on his YouTube channel, issued a fiery response, saying such a comment ‘made him laugh’ considering how well India have done in world cricket, especially in the Test format. “Michael Vaughan made a statement after the first Test that India is an underachieving team. Yes, we haven’t won ICC trophies for years. We call ourselves the powerhouses of the game. But the Test team has been one of the best traveling teams in the vicinity. We have seen many great results,” Ashwin said in response. “After he said that, …

“Unfair To Blame…”: Sanjay Manjrekar Defends India Star After Poor South Africa Display

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Indian cricket team in action© AFP After the completion of the India vs South Africa series, former India cricketer, Sanjay Manjrekar believes that one of the main reasons behind India’s loss against South Africa at Centurion was purely due to poor performance by their bowlers and went onto defend Shardul Thakur despite his disappointing performance in the first Test. Thakur was dropped from the playing XI for the second Test at Cape Town due to his poor performance in the first Test of the series where he was able to pick only one wicket in his spell of 19 overs where he conceded 101 runs.  The right-arm seamer, Mukesh Kumar replaced Thakur for the second Test where the bowler snapped four wickets in the match. Manjrekar opined that the entire Indian bowling team failed collectively in the first Test and that the think tank may have desired a better batter at No. 8, where Thakur excels. “I understand why they wanted batting depth with Shardul, especially given that they have new players batting at 1,3 …

“The Moment Rishabh Pant Is Fit…”: Ex India Star Issues Bold KL Rahul vs Shreyas Iyer Statement

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KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer during South Africa Test series© AFP As India’s tour of South Africa concludes, there remain plenty of questions that the selectors and the team management are left to answer. The performances of Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Prasidh Krishna left much to desire while a few others managed to deliver in fragments. As far as the No. 5 debate goes in the Test team, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels it’s a position that will be decided between KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer once wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant is fully fit and ready to return. With Pant still working his way to make a comeback to the national team, Rahul was given the wicket-keeper’s role, making him the team’s go-to player behind the stumps across the three formats. But, Manjrekar feels that’s only the case till Rishabh is unavailable. “I think he’s a guy who cares about every format. You know how he’s built to value every opportunity that he gets after he got that 100. You know, …

“We Won’t Go”: Ravi Shastri Wants BCCI To Reject South Africa-Like Two Test Series Invitations Due To ‘Waste Of Time’

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Legendary India cricketer Ravi Shastri blasted the scheduling of the India-South Africa Test series as he called the two-match series a “waste of time”. South Africa outplayed India completely in the first Test while the Rohit Sharma-led side claimed a historic win in the second Test match that lasted for just 107 overs. Shastri said on commentary that India should focus on playing either ‘T20Is and Test matches or ODIs and Test matches’ while touring and just refuse to play any two-match Test series in the future. “After watching this Test series, the Indian cricket establishment should make sure to never play just two Tests. If some country invites you for a two-Test series, say, ‘We won’t go’. Two-Test match series are a waste of time. It’s neither here nor there. Focus should be on either playing T20Is and Test matches or ODIs and Test matches. They could have easily played three T20Is and three Tests,” Shastri said on Star Sports. Meanwhile, India skipper Rohit Sharma called out the International Cricket Council (ICC) as well as the match referees …

“When Overseas Cricketers Come To India…”: Irfan Pathan Fires Salvo, Settles ‘Pitch Talk’

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A drama-filled Day 1 of the second Test between India and South Africa concluded with a staggering 23 wickets falling. The stunning batting collapse triggered the cricket world on social media, with talks abou the nature of the pitch taking the center stage. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also joined the bandwagon, suggesting it isn’t that the pitch is bad but the skills that the teams should focus on. Irfan also recalled how players would often complain about the nature of the spin-friendly pitches in India while there’s no such chatter in South Africa. “When overseas cricketers come to India on turning pitches they shouldn’t complain. It’s a skill they need to improve!,” Pathan wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). When overseas cricketers come to India on turning pitches they shouldn’t complain. It’s a skill they need to improve! — Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 4, 2024 Multiple former cricketers took to social media to share their views on the match after seeing the match nearing a 2-day conclusion. Former India batter Aakash Chopra …

“What If 20 Wickets Fell On Day 1 In India?”: Indian Star’s Swipe At ‘Pitch Critics’

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As a whopping 23 wickets fell on Day 1 of the second Test between India and South Africa in Cape Town, the world of social media is going ga-ga over the nature of pitch used in the match. Whenever an early result is obtained in a Test match in India, the ‘pitch critics’ often call out the imbalance between the bat and the ball. However, no such remark has been made yet about the Newlands wicket. Indian cricketer Mayank Agarwal, reacting to the developments in South Africa, wondered what would’ve happened had 20 wickets fell on the first day of a Test match in India. “What if 20 wickets fell on day 1 in India,” Agarwal posted on X (formerly Twitter), taking a subtle dig at those who often criticse India’s spin friendly wickets. What if 20 wickets fell on day 1 in India #INDvsSA — Mayank Agarwal (@mayankcricket) January 3, 2024 Former India cricketer, Aakash Chopra, also took a subtle dig at the Newlands pitch, saying he expects the match to be over on …

“Aap Karo Toh Chamatkar…”: Virender Sehwag’s Sharp Verdict On ‘107 Overs’ Test

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Former Indian cricket team opener Virender Sehwag gave his trademark witty verdict on India’s win over South Africa in the second Test match in Cape Town that lasted for just 107 overs. It was the shortest Test match in the history of the sport and the visitors emerged victorious in a little more than four sessions of play. While no much was spoken about the pitch at Newlands, Ravi Shastri and Shaun Pollock did point out that it was not fit for Test cricket. Sehwag referred to earlier instances when Indian pitches have come under the scanner due to short Test matches and put his own unique spin on the conversation. “Aap karo toh Chamatkar.. Hum karein toh pitch bekaar (If you do it, it is a miracle. But if we do it, then the pitch is bad). 107 overs – Test Match over. Also proves , anything there for the fast bowlers, we are more threatening with our quality. Bumrah and Siraj were spectacular and a good beginning to 2024,” he posted on X …

South Africa Coach’s Bold “More Luck Than Skill” Remark As India Win 2nd Test In 1.5 Days

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South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad Thursday termed the Newlands surface on which the shortest Test match in the history of the game was played as “not great” and where sheer luck trumped pure skill. India beat South Africa by seven wickets in a match that was played for just 106.2 overs and ended in a day and a little over one session. “I don’t know what people want me to say. You only need to look at the scores. 1.5-day Test match! You need to look at how they chased 80 (79). Sad state when you need more luck than skill. All the ethics and values of Test cricket goes out the window,” Conrad, a former Western Province cricketer, lashed out after the series ended in a 1-1 stalemate. Since he has been a Western Province coach and the proverbial insider, he was asked about the surface where balls were just flying from length. “I don’t know what’s going on here. I have moved on. Not in a position to know the goings on …

“Dimag Laga Rahe Ho…”: Rohit Sharma’s Reply To T20I Future Question Leaves Reporters In Splits. Watch

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India captain Rohit Sharma was at his best once again as he addressed the media after the team’s memorable victory against South Africa in Cape Town. Rohit blasted the ICC match referees, and took on critics who often criticsise the Indian wickets when games conclude early. After the Cape Town Test ended within the first two days, Rohit didn’t hesitate in calling out the match referees, asking them to be more neutral. In the presser, Rohit didn’t just silence Indian wickets’ critics but also stumped a reporter who tried to ask him about his T20I future, keeping the forthcoming series against Afghanistan in mind. “Dimaag laga rahe ho aap(You are using you brain)…let’s concentrate on Cape Town now”, Rohit said in the press conference, giving a cheeky reply to a reporter. pic.twitter.com/ef11iROzaG — LePakad7(@AreBabaRe2) January 5, 2024 The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly close to announcing the squad for the T20I series against Afghanistan, beginning January 11. Both Rohit and Virat Kohli are said to be available for selection. Further …