First Test against Pakistan

Unfortuately Van der Dussen is out after playing a very good innings   That was followed by Du Plessis being out for 10 runs - as expected a flop who scored 33 runs in 2 innings.  He was LBW before that - but the ball was pitched slightly outside  of the leg stump - that save his bacon,   The Palistani wicket keeper missed a catch when Du Plessis was on 6.    A miserable performance,   retirement overdue.

Then Markram then was out - a pity but he was still thee highest scoring  SA batsmen on  the test thus far,    Day three ended on end  score on 187 for 4,

Mike

I also think we need to drop Markram now. His strike rate was really poor.

So...

Markram - poor strike rate

Elgar - poor fielder

du Plessis - poor striker rate

Rassie - Not good enough for the test team

Should all be dropped hey Mike.

Never fear folks we still have Bavuma to come to the crease.

He is good for at least a "Ton" or two.

He'll be good for a world class 30.

All before he loses concentration.

Chippo

Over the past two years  both Elgar and Du Plessis  suffered from the problematic 6/1 syndrome - one good innings and 6 substandard ones.  In any other country they would have been shown the door sooner rather than later.    Then came along the substandard ShriLanka attack and suddenly they are the cat whiskers.  Since making 199 runs  Du Plessis failed three times to make any impression.

We will go nowhere with those two in the team - I can still live with Van der Dussen in the team -  but not with Elgin as Faf.   There is no future in getting the team more effective tin future with  those two around,,,      ,   

6 down with a lead of 60.

Puts the Proteas low first innings score and Pakistan's 158 lead nicely into context. 

Failing to capitalise when Pakistan were on the ropes in their first innings was SA's missed chance to win the game back. Rassie and Markram provided a second half-chance but unless they each got a hundred and saw off most of the second new ball, it was always a lost cause.

Sticking with spin when the new ball came was a stupid move by Quintie and Boucher...as evidenced by the lack of wickets it brought. 

All in all, a nothing test marked by poor batting, nonsensical use of bowlers and ,all but one partnership aside, poor batting.

Proteas look like 6-8 is about their rightful test ranking atm.

... I said it...

Bavuma in for a world class 30 (ok he actually got 40)... until he loses concentration.

My clevermike take on this game...

Drop Elgar - bats too slow and is a shit fielder

Drop Markram - batted very slowly in the 2nd innings

Drop Faf - he doesnt deserve his spot

Keep Qdk even though he failed in both innings

Drop Bavuma (this one i actually agree with)\

Drop Linde - He doesnt offer much in tests

BUT

Keep Lungi

Keep KG

Keep Nortje

Happy days everyone.

Such a lame test.

Just frailty up and down the batting order. 

I agree with keeping all the pace bowlers but would be much happier if one of them batted a lot better. 

However, this game was lost on day one by that stupidly low score of 220. The Proteas batting line-up seems a little arrogant to me. When they took the situation more seriously in the second innings, the results were better...however spotty.

For me, I'd let Quitnie open and put Markram at 4, Faf at 5.

De Kock is an instinct player and I think he does worse when he has to plan his innings. 

I guess we'll never know what the idea with the second new ball was hahaha.

Why Elgar?

Dave

I have to agree with you,   Elgar's hand got injured as a result of slow reaction to a ball that wa snot at breakneck speed and he could have avoided 

Both Elgar and Du Plessis had two very poor years in batting and then came up against SriLanka with a substandard  bowling attack and scored runs,,   That does not make for anything good for the future - against stronger attacks they will fail 

The great SA cricket team built up in the period 2005 to 2017 - has now been reduced to only two players who are still in the squad - Faf and Elgar -  and  it is clear that rebuilding is required.   That rebuilding should start with younger players of which there are many to xhose from.           

I'm starting agree with the clean slate hypothesis.

Recently watched a replay of Kallis hitting 160 odd in Australia. What helped him was Amla being there for most of it and AB being there for the rest.

I just can see happening with the current team composition. 

Successful teams, as far as I can tell, normally play together for a long time. 

That plays in favour of what you'd like to happen, Saffex. 

This batting lineup seem disjointed and overwhelmed. They got a let off against Sri Lanka via injuries, that may be partly to blame.

There's nobody with huge potential or a great record in the top six. Quitnie probably has the best record but he doesn't have a cricket head. 

Why not at least stack that side with potential? Especially when said potential is readily available.

I don't look forward to the next time we meet India...at all!!!

Irrespective of what we all know and think politics and sport do not go together. Never have and never will.

Selection on merit is the path to win in sport not color codes.

Sure some players who gained selection on merit have failed but rather that the political method.

But this test has shown that a clean out is in order to start winning once more and was a bad loss to say the least.

I also think that a permanent  captain must be appointed as the role of captain appears to weigh de Kock.

Trust that the SAC chiefs come to terms with reality and make the correct decisions....soon.

Dave

The fact is that we are in deep shit in cricket and it is getting worse by the day ,

Lets start with the batting,   For two years we have struggled to get any consistency in batting and  the problem, is that neither  of the batsmen made a real impression in all versions of the game,   When that kind of situation develop  the need for rebuilding of the team is essential - bit wha duid we get?    Overcrowding in the said Department by 30 plus players were looked upon a building blocks by the selection committee

The situation is that De Kock adds to the problem - he knows that cricket is going nowhere and  that rebuilding is necessary - but ends up with he team  which is going nowhere.    He obviously  does not want to be captain of a team  that is selected by the selection committee  and is disinterested in his batting performances as well, 

I would say that the Proteas need to look at their batting and all\rounder situation and start afresh with the following players be tested and see what they are capable of producing, 

Openers 

Janneman Malan, Roelofsen and Rickelton,    The one who does no make the cut  should bat at three,  Breetske should also be considered should any of the above fails.   ,

Rest of batsmen 

Rest of batsmen made up of  Van Tonder (only in tests), Bird, De Kock, Verreinne  and Hama.   

All-Rounders              

Mulder in tests and to consider Andilke and  De Swardt in the shorter versions of the game as well.    In tests I think M Pretorius should also be a consideration,

My ideal teams

In Tests  would be as follows:-

Malan, Roelofsen, Rickelton, Van Tonder, De Kock, Mulder, M Pretorius, Maharaj, Rabada, Nortje and  Ngidi

In Shorter  versions I would pick the following: -

 Malan, Roelofsen, Rickelton,,  De Kock, Mulder, Verreinne,  M Pretorius or Andile, Maharaj or Shamsi , Rabada, Nortje and  Ngidi or Sipamla.  

I agree - but for one thing - Van Tonder has  very disappointing  shorter versions stats,    His strike rate in 50 over games is 66,41 - which is not acceptable.    I think he will turn out to be a test specialist and that is likely where his future will be.     He builds innings very well and has a  higher than ten point average on provincial level  than either Elgar or Du Plessis have.      

I would add M Pretorius to the all-rounder list.    Andile has a rotten test record and seems to be a shorter version player only,    .            

I just check his stats and what I said is based on that,   

I am prepared to go with Andile id\f he maintained what he did two years ago.    The only thing he maintained is growth of his girth - which will soon be equal to   Frylink's so that may affect his  performances badly,    

His average in test  cricket was extremely poor - so compare his batting average of  9,5 and total of 19 runs scored in four innings say that sis equal too the one of  Mulder - who scorerd 57 runs is stretching it a bit.   In bowling Andile bowled in 8 innings and took 11 wickets - as against the 13 wickets Mulder took in 4 innings in which he bowled.   For me Mulker is on the up from a poor start - while in tests Andile is on the way down from a poor start.             

Saffex,

I'd want a full batsman at 7 in the team you've selected. Not an all-rounder.

The fifth bowler's role could be carried out by Markram and another of similar skill. Like you, I'm also of the opinion that some of the batters do just as good a job of turning their arm over as what spinners that can barely bat do.

EG...Why have a Monty Panesaar(spelling) type when his strike rate is only marginally better than what a Duminy could provide? I was never a Duminy fan but I'll take him or Swann over most front line finger spinners that can't bat at all.

Failing the above, I would drop Ngidi for a bowling all-rounder. 

Either way, we need to bat as deep as possible. 

Boucher said h would see Milder batting higher than at 7 - so he can operate  boith with the bat and  bowling as well.       

Saffex, 

If you get runs but struggle with the ball then a draw becomes more likely. 

I'd you don't get runs, you lose, simple as.

So, if I were gonna play a host of new batters, I'd offer them the security of batting deeper. 

Ngidi is a decent bowler, but his first class average is only marginally better than some all-rounders presently on the scene.

Take Philander as an example. He could open with Steyn or bowl first change but could also hold his bat and did so very well on many occasions. Meaning that Steyn and Morkel were our only true tailenders and we were very successful with that team composition. 

I don't care too much for what the standard composition of a test side is and I'd drop Ngidi for Andile without thinking twice - If I were gonna go with your team.

Both Andile and Mulder had very little teste experience - bit what little they did have is clearly favoring Mulder.     I have seen neither play for two years - but in the recent Momentum Cup games Andile was NOT up to standard whether you like it or not/        

Saffex,

How would you class Philander?

Obviously he was an all-rounder, right?

Rigidly sticking to your balanced team would mean that you'd play three frontline seamers plus Philander. Then your spinner plus whatever overs a part-time puts in. That's an unnecessarily long tail.

In the case of Kallis, considering how high he batted up the order, you'd not want to strain him, so you needed at least one more all-rounder as cover.

So there we have two different situations with two different types of all-rounder.

Point is, I find it difficult to declare a particular composition as being ideal since teams are always different. Skill levels, experience, confidence...it's always in flux. To my mind, the best strategy is to adapt to what you have.  

Doesn't matter, though...give me 10 x Kallis + 1 x Gilchrist = unbeatable haha