Posted by If we’d have bothered writing a Champions Trophy preview, we might have had India down as fair weather favourites. It’s as much the lack of alternatives as anything else.
India have their weaknesses, but despite the absence of some extraordinarily familiar faces they’re experienced and they play to their strengths. There may have been players paid to underperform during the IPL, but the India cricket team is overpaid to perform. They will make runs and they won’t worry too much when the opposition do.
Shorn of Dale Steyn – and a side strain can keep a fast bowler out for a while – South Africa look like a dilute version of India. They have a few explosive batsmen, but their bowling attack is clogged up with generic seam. They also need to beat both Pakistan and the West Indies now.
That’s right. One match in and already a major team is on the brink. In fact, there is a very slim chance South Africa could win those two matches and still go out if other results don’t go their way.
Make no mistake, the Champions Trophy is okay.
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South Africa batsmen defy both expectations and the Delhi pitch
Well, if you are going to give flat pitches in U.K, then I must say ODIs must die. Or is it just Cardiff?
If it is just Cardiff, whom did N Srinivasan and MS Dhoni pay to ensure India played its match(es) in Cardiff?
Questions, questions.
If we can’t get a 65-allout pitch in England/UK, where’d we…?
No half decent team would end up 65 all out in England at this time of year on the pitches we are serving up.
What on earth could you be talking about, last strauss? Have you been over-imbibing of the amber nectar again?