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[Mr Cricket]

Flintoff played with a lot of heart, always put 100% in, great to watch

[alexrickyponting]

De Villiers!!  monster!

[PM7]

Big changes will have to be made from India. The top heavy batting lineup has been completely exposed by 2 quality quicks.
The lack of quick bowling talent needs to be rectified bigtime. Saffers are clearly the best allround Test team in the world.
India still cant get over the tag of poor travellers. Funny how the roles are reversed in the shorter form of the game!

[Johng]

India are flat track bullies.

Can not travel and I feel that they do not place cricket outside their own country in high regard and that shows when they travel abroad.

They arrived two to three days before this test in S.A, compare that with England's Ashes preparation

[Jeet]

India are flat track bullies.

Can not travel and I feel that they do not place cricket outside their own country in high regard and that shows when they travel abroad.

They arrived two to three days before this test in S.A, compare that with England's Ashes preparation

With series wins in England, NZ and WI is shows India's record overseas is improving. India where mighty close to winning in OZ as well, but more some questionable umpiring.

11 of the 15 man squad arrived in SA 10 days before the 1st Test. Spending time in Gary Kirsten's academy.

If India are FTB's, would does it make their opposition? Why can't India's opponents pile on the runs when they go to India?

[Buzz]

For me AB De Villiers is now SA's best bat - (which is saying something given they have Amla, Kallis and Smith) so if he has a big series it will be huge for them.

some knock today from AB.

I don't believe that the Indians are flat track bullies at all - I think loosing the toos had a massive impact on this game - the pitch has dried out noticably - what happens in the second innings should be interesting.

[Mr Cricket]

With series wins in England, NZ and WI is shows India's record overseas is improving. India where mighty close to winning in OZ as well, but more some questionable umpiring.

11 of the 15 man squad arrived in SA 10 days before the 1st Test. Spending time in Gary Kirsten's academy.

If India are FTB's, would does it make their opposition? Why can't India's opponents pile on the runs when they go to India?

There should be no shame in this, teams around the world will prepare wickets to suit their selves. in this case, india prepare very flat wickets that they feel their batsmen are best suited to, this has brought them much success of recent times, however, when they travel abroad - as we have seen in this test, their batting line up is far more fragile and can collapse without the safety of that draw wicket, jeet, india are not the only country guilty of this so please stop looking to take offence when people highlight the fast that swing and seam are alien to your batsmen, the 136 all out was a good example of why they get called flat track bullies.

[Jeet]

There should be no shame in this, teams around the world will prepare wickets to suit their selves. in this case, india prepare very flat wickets that they feel their batsmen are best suited to, this has brought them much success of recent times, however, when they travel abroad - as we have seen in this test, their batting line up is far more fragile and can collapse without the safety of that draw wicket, jeet, india are not the only country guilty of this so please stop looking to take offence when people highlight the fast that swing and seam are alien to your batsmen, the 136 all out was a good example of why they get called flat track bullies.

If you're telling me that one batting collapse deems some of greatest batsmen off all time FTB's, then you really have limited knowledge of cricket.

On day 1, with the damp pitch, no batting side would've lived with Steyn and Morkel.

[Mr Cricket]

would they be the "greatest batsmen of all time" if they had played anywhere else but india?

[Jeet]

would they be the "greatest batsmen of all time" if they had played anywhere else but india?

Look at their records before making your bizarre claims.

Well Lara, Ponting, Hayden, Gilchrist etc all greats, none played for India....

[Mr Cricket]

you referred to the Indian batting line up as having some of the greatest batsmen of all time. i cannot argue that the likes of tendulkar, dravid, sehwag, laxman are not highly skilful, infact i have a lot of admiration for them and all of them would make runs wherever they play, however, would they have made the sheer volume of test match runs that they had if it wasnt for the typically indian flat tracks?

i am of course expecting a barrage of statistics to show me how i am so wrong, and im sure you will take this as a massive insult to your idols, but everyone is entitled to an opinion and for me its a lot easier to make runs on flat, dead pitches than seaming green tops where you do get that one ball with your name on it no matter how well you bat.

im more than willing to discuss my views, to be proved wrong and to be proved right, but please dont try to draw me in to an argument simply because we are talking about your team

[Jeet]

would they have made the sheer volume of test match runs that they had if it wasn't for the typically indian flat tracks?

So they can't be great because their born in a country where pitches are naturally flatter, due to climatic conditions.

I do have one suggestion, go and ask Ricky Ponting if Indian pitches are very easy to score runs on.

[Buzz]

guys calm down - I think you are all taking this too personally and seeing an argument when there is only debate. I have deleted some of the posts and will lock this for now.

[Buzz]

Second test started today and the Indians staged a bit of a fight back... (so I have unlocked this topic - please keep it friendly!)

I thing the Master's bat looks ready for a re-furb - http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/image/494141.html?page=2
!

[100 not out]

That is his lucky bat.
if India can 260 ish. . .game on i think. . .with Zaheer back, they will have a bit more strength in the bowling dept.

it was a big toss to win though. . . .still not out of by any means. after day 1