South Africa's record in the past two series now reads 2 draws and 1 loss. If you really think about it, it should have been three wins.
Really, they should have won 3-1 against England and 1-0 against India. They messed up twice in the second test. Once in the first innings after tea and the second time on the last day, right after Hash and Ashy P had settled down. Parnie and Morne should never have been in that situation. And Kallis should not have played that shot.
They should also have won the first ODI, meaning they would have won this 2-1 as well.
"If only" is a phrase too often used by a Protea fan. It's always if this, if that, if only we had been the first to bat.
Consolation wins mean ziltch after sometime. Because during the dead-rubber matches, the Saffers are so mind-blowingly brilliant that you actually wish your mind was an atomic bomb that could burst on command. Their inconsistency makes Pakistan look rock steady.
Everybody was brilliant today. I was particularly proud of my soon-to-be-adopted son ROFL. Did you see that ball that turned away, peeked at Sreesanth and decided to go straight for his legs? That one was fun! AB was fun to watch too. As was Tsotsobe. I really love that guy, but I don't know if he can replace Parnie. Unless he is injured of course.
But the reality is, this was an inexperienced Indian team. They didn't have their frontline bowling attack...if you can call Durby a frontline bowler. The Saffers knew this and they bullied them to death.
Honestly, I did not expect the Saffers to even achieve this. But then I thought, why shouldn't I? They are a friggin' brilliant team, as the first test demonstrated. They conquered Sachin, Sehwag, Gambhir, Dhoni and Zaheer there. But these bursts and fizzles are getting very,very hard to handle. Next up is the IPL, meaning another long-ass break for the team. Just when they were beginning to get their groove back.
And Dale just said in an interview that he thought this was a good series. If only he was right!
33 comments:
You like Tsobie!! I remember us talking about him and you were not so convinced of him (?) My memory is sure playing tricks on me here; so when he took the first wicket and I thought it was the echo of my joyful cheer in the empty hall coming back to me, it must have been the cheer from your end then? :P
Wes' last blog:
Yes Sir, I can doosra!
England have become a hard side to beat though in subcontinent it may still be a different story. I do expect the Aussies too won't have it easy at the end of the year.
SA came close to winning in India but with such a huge crowd one expects Indian spinners to strike even if it is the last ball.
I felt it was. During the test matches, South Africa managed to probe and expose the weak points of Indian play - batting, bowling and fielding.
They did a favour to many Indian players...those hoping to be regulars...in the ODIs. It is for the Indian youngsters to figure out what to do with the lessons taught to them. That can only help India.
In tests, not many teams have tested India at home like Saffers have. Not Australia, not England, not even Lanka.
In ODIs, yes, others too have taken the game to India..but that's the very nature of LOIs is it not? :)
England really need to tour India now...and with the full complement of players instead of only those who choose to tour...when they are on a bit of a roll and with winning form.
SA ultimately disappointed. As I've read elsewhere, their captain has lost his ruthless edge since he started dating the plain Jane Brigitte Sarembock.
They need to focus again with more ruthless ambition if they wish to dominate.
Wes, I think that discussion was about him being in tests no?
Grey, like I said, Parnie and Morne should never have been in that situation. SA have plenty of batsmen in the top order who could have batted to a draw. They lost two wickets in the morning session and two in afternoon one, if I remember correctly. And then Hashim said this was a better wicket to bat on...
SB, they may have taught the rookies a lesson but they are not providing the world with some public service here :P. They are playing to win.
Anon, I don't think Sarembock bats/captains for Graeme on the field!
At present anyone who pretends to bowl off spin may get Prince and Duminy out and even De Villiers is inconsistent.
So the batting mainly depends on Kallis, Amla and Smith and if one of them is out of form like it happened to Smith against India they are in trouble as Prince or Duminy are struggling to get to even double figures.
If wishes were horses....
SA choked in the second test.
Purna, yes, d'oh! I thought we had been talking about the national side in general. See this happens when you get old :/
Wes' last blog:
Stop! - Timmy time.
grey, Kallis has done it before with Hash. With the fourth day being cut short due to rain, this was very, very doable. Even with the inconsistency of AB and the out of form JP and Ashy P. Plus, Parnie played a handy knock. Last season, every player fulfilled their duties in the team. This season, they are all just out of form/injured/depending on one man...
Ankit, they would gallop?
Hawkeye, interesting. How so?
Wes, age is just a number :P
Hashim was effing brilliant in the tests. But in my opinion , the others let him down Purna. It shouldn't have come to that!
Now that we're playing the ifs and buts game, if it hadn't rained on Day 4 of T2, it wouldn't have been this close! eh? :-) The rain gods threw a bone at SA, and except Hash, nobody else seemed to want a piece of it.
The first ODI was quite unbelievable. SA was unlucky on that one for sure.
Agree anon Graeme losing his edge over new lady. Personal life interfering in his cricket her presence in India appears to have disturbed him.
Anon, strange. I could have sworn it helps them to have their significant others around.
I agree Purna having your significant other should help hmm... Graeme scored 30 runs in 2 tests. Ah well some have better partners than others.
Some do better with their partners around but Graeme Smith looks to have decided to settle down now that he's gone down the plain route with the plain Brigitte Sarembock. Maybe this switch to mundane life with a plain looking partner like Brigitte Sarembock, instead of Minki, is hindering his performance. India should be a warning to him.
India indeed should be alarm bells first tour plain Brigitte goes on and to perform so bad. I wonder why Graeme decided to make such a choice to settle I think it's quiet sad.
Partners play a huge role in a players life and really they play a huge role in everybodys life because they are who we share our lives with. I don't care one bit about looks as we should not choose our life partner on looks but it does appear with brigitte on tour and graeme doing so badly. This lady is probably the wrong choice for him. Look at mrs amla her hubby was so delighted she was there he was sub human. I really don't think it's good to settle for profile work etc we should just follow our hearts and do what makes us happy. Graeme smith although a national captain should also have that right. Sorry for the long post purna, love the blog.
The Proteas I think should bring mrs amla on every tour, Hash did play like a super hero when she was watching, she should be their new lucky mascot.
Mrs Amla is a lucky charm and look what it did for Hashim! Brigitte Sarembock being as plain as she is and such a bad luck charm for Smith, as proven by the Indian tour and his bad luck with injuries is a millstone around his neck.
I think with Brigittes behaviour, she did herself no favours what with all the celeb bashes, she does seem to be in it for the fame and really only speaking from experience, I do think people in love walk on air and dont really care what people think of their loved one because they are so happy, but perhaps with Graeme struggling so much on India tour, it does not seem a good sign, I would not pay to much attention to blog posts, I guess we all have our own opinion bout things, I personally think Graeme has never gotten over Minki and his heart still lies with her, thats why i dont really take this relatioship seriously but dont let the comments upset you, everybody has different views but perhaps should express them more nicely, also come back purna and what IPL team are you supporting.
A love of fame and money will make people put up with a lot and she has quit her career for the good life, so i'm sure brigitte will live with it for the free vacations and celeb bashes,not dissing no crime in being a golddigger,but sorry this sham relationship and true love, rather focus on Glenn and jane mcgrath or sashin t and wife, now that is real love
From what I hear smith will be happy to go back to cape town as he is partying hard and chasing girls,his behaviour is the talk of cape town, he really has gone off the rails since meeting this sarembock lady, she appearsto put up with any behaviour, perhaps he needs to do a michael Clarke,if not he may end up another terry or woods.
Eh? What is your source Anon that Graeme is chasing after girls? If he is then he is just a terrible person.
Sorry to hear Graeme out of ipl. I always thought he was a sensible guy however if he is acting like this maybe his new lady is a bad influence?
Hi purna,ct a small place people talk, I don't think smith is a terrible person he is justin a bad relationship,with previous gf and when he was single he was a saint round girls and devoted to his cricket,since this new lady he has gone of the rails and his cricket has suffered,like clarke I think he needs to get out and perhaps datf
date a lady who will have a calmer effect on his life,this sarembock lady appears to have turned smith frk
from a sensible guy who worked hard to a bad lifesstyle for his career and future,
Anon, I get all that but it's not like Graeme is a little boy. He is a grown man and makes his own choices. If he chooses to date Sarembock and then lead an unstable lifestyle (if it is true), that is his prerogative isnt it? I'm pretty sure Sarembock doesn't have him under some kind of voodoo spell :P.
And his bad form has been mostly due to injuries. He has been injured about 4 times in the past 8 months...if not more.
Also, leave a name Anon :). It would be nice to know you.
Check out Smiths twitter page, all he does is party and attend celeb bashes, he does appear to have lost his way,maybe he should focus more on his cricket and then he may get over his bad form, dont know if it this new lady or not which has sent him off the rails, maybe, maybe not, but going by the amount he drinks and the amount of parties he attends, I dont expect him to do anything in the t20 world cup, perhaps the penny will drop soon that the fans dont pay his wages for him to party, we sa fans deserve a good captain who is actually cares about his job.
I agree. His captaincy wasn't that good but his batting is getting more and more horrible. But maybe he is partying because he feels overworked? Last yaer was hectic for them. He may have lost his way a little. But regardless, we dont know him personally right? So all we can demand is that he get his shit together on the field. There's hardly anything we can do if his off-field life is getting in the way...
Graeme is in terrible form I hope he gets his life in order as it may have a negative impact on the team. Shocked Milly he is doing so much partying thought he was more level headed.
Maybe graeme needs to find a new lady or fly solo, the relationship does not seem to be good for him and his career, it can be just one of those things, nobodys fault really, with brigitte giving up her career as well,perhaps has had a negative effect on both, graeme should get kallis to hook him up, his lady appears to be the a good lick charm, wow that boy is on fire, where smith now just looks washed up, recently married amla is also inspiring isn't he,must be a v happy union sweet. Purna was rude not to leave name last time is Jane.
Hi Jane!
Agree Jane a single Smith benefits SA cricket. He did no good with minki and his new lady is as bad it seems.
Liz
Haha. Aww guys, he shouldn't have to sacrifice his personal life for cricket. But maybe he needs to learn how to balance the two?
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