Anyone following the 3rd test...

 this is my team in order...
ElgarAmla(c)BavumaDe VilliersFaf JP Vilas(shame but I would have had QDK)Dale Steyn(Marchant De Lange if unfit)Morkel Rabada Tahir
Abbott as 12th man

 Another brilliant bit of captaincy by Amla to give the speedsters a break and to bring on Elgar from one end and Harmer from the other. Didn't take long for the part time spinner Elgar to take a wicket and then to bring back Morkel who takes another wicket. Brilliant Hashim...brilliant.

 
It's not a cricket site either, Denny ... yet you fell you can continue as though it were !!

 And below is the reason why it's not a good idea to play  quicks on Indian wickets as I suggested in the first test.                       

Lunch India 85 for 2 (Pujara 18*, Kohli 11*) v South Africa

At the end of the eighth over on the first morning, when Hashim Amla brought on his spinners, the Nagpur pitch looked like it had been played on for days. The dry surface, spider-webbed like a cracked windshield, had already developed significant rough patches because of the bowlers' follow-throughs, and where the new ball had not seamed, swung or bounced for the quicks, the pitch offered sharp turn at varying height for the spinners.

Had there been a little more pace in it, the surface would have been near unplayable, but already it was a pitch on which a batsman was never going to be at ease. After Virat Kohli won a crucial toss, India's openers M Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan adopted the technique of playing the ball late and from the crease, using the time South Africa took to learn what lines and lengths to bowl on this pitch to score their second consecutive half-century stand. Under the circumstances, it was an invaluable start.

South Africa's fast bowlers pitched too short in their first spells. While they were quick through the air, their deliveries slowed drastically after pitching, and the batsmen were given the luxury of time. One short of a length delivery from Morkel took so long to arrive that Vijay simply hung back and swatted it to the wide mid-on boundary. Even the attempted short balls from Kagiso Rabada, who had harried the Indian batsmen in the limited-overs games, were easily dealt with by Dhawan.

 Ag CC there's no rugby on so who gives a care hey?

 and some on the wicket...
11.30am Normally, you'd think that it was an even session but I reckon that was a session dominated by India, starting with that important toss. The pitch has turned square from the first over bowled by a spinner and is unlikely to get any better, signs of wear on the pitch already. But I have absolutely no problem with the state of the wicket, of course it is going to turn. It is called home advantage after all. It makes away-series wins all the more special. But this much spin on the first day doesn't make for a good contest between bat and ball. However, such is life and India will be reasonably happy with their work in the morning. SA need a few wickets in this next session. Can they chip away?

Someone finally saying what I've been calling for for years!

Ricky Ponting: "Prepare any type of pitch at home, remove toss, allow visiting captain to decide he wants to bat/bowl. This somewhat creates more balance".

 
Exactly Denny ... and guess what ... I don't have an issue with it at all ...

 I guess we can post in the cricket section....but do you what....for some strange reason that section doesn't attract any traffic. It's been tried and tested and proven that cricket fans much prefer to post in the rugby section.

 
Go ahead ... enjoy ... it really is no biggie ... is it?

 cheers...btw I'm going to post some photos of the south coast beaches when I get down there.....I might even stop at Batemans Bay.

 Another wicket....Amla is attacking with spin and it's working like a charm. Hats off to Hashim. I see Rabada who looked damn ordinary before lunch has found a nice line and is reaping the benefit of a good economy.

 Well done Morne......has bowled consistently well since working out the line and length of the pitch....it's been awhile since he's bowled this well, perhaps the added pressure of bowling with the absence of Dale has brought this on, whatever the reason he deserved another wicket. There's only two recognized batsmen at the crease, the dangerous Kholi and the in form Sharma..... we need to break the partnership. I reckon  300 runs in the first innings is a winning score, they'll  have to nip the Indians for a lot less.

 and another!! Morkel on fire.....makes for a nice read .
Morkel to Kohli, OUT, Morkel has done it finally to Kohli. Gets the ball to pitch and move away from Kohli who can't do anything but get a thin feather to Vilas. That plan has worked yet again. All credit to the SA think tank. Stuck to their guns despite the amount of turn. And Morkel has more reward, a discernible effort to bowl fuller too. Just a hint of away movement claims that wicket

V Kohli c †Vilas b Morkel 22 (55b 2x4 0x6) SR: 40.00

 who says test cricket is dead? Some interesting comments from the commentators..
Drinks in the second session. SA have roared back in this period, but they can do some serious damage in this next one hour.

Debnil: "The shakiness of Indian batting coming to the fore again..."

 Rohit Sharma brought in to the side to bolster the batting is looking very iffy.....if he goes early then there's every chance the Indians could be all out before the end of Day 1.

 Indian run scoring has dried up....something will have to give here...

 Another one bites the dust.....well Simon Harmer...this boy has the potential to be fine off spinner. With Sharma gone it's into the tail. Let's see if the so called long batting li neup the Indians boast stretching to 10 is going to wag. I don't believe it will. I think the Proteas will be batting before close of play.

 In dians showing regrets about the pitch...Oh Dearie dear
Navin: "Is India digging up its own grave in the name of going for results with these tracks. Our batsmen will lose their confidence, earlier they used to struggle only outside asia, its saddening to see them struggle at home. i am sure even the fab four would have struggled a bit atleast in these so called turning tracks. Need to revisit the strategy"

 Denny, you're doing a better job than the crifinfo team!
Keep it going son.

 Hahahaha ..kidding aren't you!

 not at all!

 some more interesting comments...
We may have time for two more overs before tea

Stiaan: "You have to feel for Rabada for not taking a wicket yet, He has been bowling very good today!! "

Ravi: "200+ is a good score to fight with.. Go India.."

My own guess is that the Proteas need to nip them out for under 200......Indian tail is showing resistance, we must not allow them a score over 200

 Tea 

"SA responded well in that session and took four important wickets to chip away at the Indian batting order. They have six now but Jadeja is looking in fine form. Morkel was terrific in that session and made some important breakthroughs in an exceptional spell of swing bowling."
Jadeja is the danger.

 One error of judgement from Hashim....in the last over he should have brought Elgar back instead of bowling Duminy. That said it's the only mistake he's made all day, now the trick is to ignore Duminy....will he?

 CommentsJacques: "Anything more than 180 will be extremely tough for this SA batting line up. Amla and Faf is badly out of form." --Agreed....it's a bitch of a pitch...shame on the curator!

Hello again. India got a turner but had the tables turned on them. Harmer has held one end up, Elgar has found turn, and Morne has been impressive

 Another mistake to bring Tahir on, he bowls too fast. No no no Hashim, get Elgar back on....if it ain't broke don't fix it!

 The Indian counter attack is good....Amla has to come up with something.they're letting all the great slip away...*&&&(^^(_

 Can Rabada make the breakthrough we desperately need ???

 Jeez we are so close...I can feel, I know it.....break this F*%#@ partnership....Get Jadeja!! Public enemy #1

 Got him!!! Rabada has done it!! Halllelujah sweet Mary!!! Jadeja Gone!!!

 Saha is doing nothing...just a nuisance factor....with Tahir on we should get another pretty soon...here's hoping.

 With Jadeja gone little Saha will have to do something.....he's been lucky so far, my guess is that his luck is about to run out...

 Take Tahir off....it's not his day. Stay with Rabada and Morne with either Harmer or Elgar brought back...I wouldn't hand Tahir another over.

 Right..he heard me, Tahir is off...nice.

 Excellent rotation...Morne is back on....Geez what's going on? ...can Hashim hear me hahaha....there's a wicket coming

 Oh No!!!
Morkel grimacing in pain and is going off the park. Massive blow. He may have pulled his hamstring in delivery stride. Doesn't look like there is anything wrong with his feet so probably an internal injury.

 What utter bad luck...we need a miracle to win if Morne is out of the game.

 Nuisance factor is gone but we're in deep sh!t with India on 200 runs plus and our best strike bowler hobbling off with a hammie. Our batsmen will have to come to the party, Faf and Duminy will have to contribute or else they must be dropped.

 We need a miracle. Over and out.