As usual, there will be a big hype about India performing well against SA and many "Gurus" will predict that "Indian Batting Stars" will play well as they have the best technique. There will also be talk about our improved seamers who can trouble the SAs.
At the end we would have been thumped in both tests and one days. There will be a couple of highlights in our side - one or two batting stars would have scored a century but on a losing cause and there would be one or two impressive bowling performances.
All this will have the same result - India Lose Test series and One day Series.
Winning outside the subcontinent has always been a struggle. I don't see why that should be different now.
Amre has told according to his knowledge. But we should not forget that many Indians with a pretty good track record in batting had failed to set their bat up. We can imagine that some our players including Pravin has made a ton incl. Deep Dasgupta who cannot be taken as a technically sound batter though the fact doesnot changed a lot. Actually we are very bad in such kind of pitches where balls reaches to batsman with bounce well before the sub-continents.
Well,Amre means well and is being polite but the fact of the matter is that our track record is dismal in SA Not just that,the form and fitness of our batsman in particular leaves much to be desired.With Kumble and Zaheer back in the attack and with Ajit,Irfan,Munaf and Bhajji as back -up the bowling is the least of our worries
Amre seems to have forgotten Kallis who can be quite a handful not to mention Nel in SA conditions.
Unless the batsman bat well and long and give SA batsman a stiff target our bowlers will try to defend rather than bowl out the opponents.
Let us pray for our Poster boys whose heroics in ad films is converted into performance on the field.
RE:Batsmen must stay positive
by anoop sonny on Nov 15, 2006 07:38 PM Permalink
Hello Mr Vijay Praveen Amre did score a centyury on debut and it was in south africa in 1992 Please read properly
RE:Batsmen must stay positive
by Girish on Nov 15, 2006 08:43 PM Permalink
He made a century in 1991-92 series against SA and not in 96. He was not even in the team for 1996 series which we lost miserably.
RE:Batsmen must stay positive
by veda on Nov 15, 2006 11:38 PM Permalink
Amre scored the century in 1992 series of SA - In his debut match. It was not in India. SA toured India early that year. India toured SA the same year (Nov). That was also the series when Kumble came to limelight.
RE:Batsmen must stay positive
by Girish on Nov 16, 2006 04:19 AM Permalink
On November 15, exactly 14 years ago.. is Not 1996.. .. 1992.. Do some research before commenting,..
RE:Batsmen must stay positive
by Sandeep on Nov 16, 2006 10:54 AM Permalink
Mr. Vijay, Amre toured in 1992 and not in 96..dravid was not even in the picture at that time ..
RE:Batsmen must stay positive
by suhas on Nov 16, 2006 09:42 AM Permalink
Amre did score the century against SA in his debut match in SA. In fact he went ahead to score a 50 in his debut ODI in SA. He is only one (in the world) to score 100 in tests and 50 in ODI on debut. This was in 1992. Rahul dravid scored 148 in 1999 tour.
amre did score a century
by subhra on Nov 16, 2006 11:49 AM Permalink
praveen amre did score a century in 1992, Rahul Dravid was not even in the Indian team at that time. That match was ajay jadeja's debut too.
RE:Batsmen must stay positive
by Avijeet on Nov 16, 2006 01:47 PM Permalink
Amre did score in his first match and that was a long time back in the 92-93 season...
Hi, I really don't remember that Praveen Amre scored a hundred in that lost match at kingsmead, Durban in 1996. Actually India lost that match and series as well. Only person who was there till end was Rahul Dravid. Praveen Amre is very good batsman, there is no two words for that. But he Scored that century in India, when south africa toured. (Infact it was their first tour after the ban).
RE:article
by Sarin on Nov 16, 2006 06:27 AM Permalink
Amre scored that century when India toured SA in 1992 and not in India. I still remember listening to the radio commentary of that innigs since those I didn\'t have cable TV at home. That was indeed a great knock a gutsy one.
RE:article
by Deepak Deshpande on Nov 15, 2006 07:06 PM Permalink
Hi Vijay, admit that your memory is weak. Amre did score that century in south africa
RE:article
by Hemant on Nov 17, 2006 09:20 AM Permalink
Harsha, Thank you for your nice mail clarifying some of people's wrong perception.It was indeed a heroic effort from Amre in Durban and we do not see that commitment from many of our front line battesmen.It only emphasises that if some one has determination to carry on, it is not easy to dislodge him.Remember the present lot is no way inferior bowlers and Indian battesmen can expect some fierce bowling coming straight to their rib cage.We hope Sachin and Rahul once again show others how to play them with courage!
Get ur facts right
by Dip on Nov 15, 2006 07:27 PM Permalink
U have got ur facts mixed up dude, Amre did score a century and this tour was in 1991-92 just after South Africa's re-admission to international cricket.
RE:article
by Venky on Nov 15, 2006 10:06 PM Permalink
Hi Vijay, I think India was the first team to visit South Africa after removal of ban from them and that was in 1992 and not 1996. and Amre did score a century then . . .
You are absolutely wrong. Praveen Amre indeed scored a century in that Durban test match which was his debut test match. He scored a half century against SA in a debut one day match. I am quite sure it was not in 1996. It was much before that may be 1991 or 1992
U know a lot of cricket.
by Kiran Raveendran on Nov 15, 2006 07:57 PM Permalink
For your information, Praveen Amre scored a century on debut in South Africa and it was in the year 1992-93. South Africa's first tour after the ban was in 1991-92. Check ur facts out on http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/rsavind/content/ current/story/259585.html. Please do not give comments when u do not know the facts. Please. Did u know, W V Raman scored a one day century on the same tour. India lost test series 0-1 and the ODI series 2-5.
RE:article
by Govind Raj on Nov 16, 2006 10:42 PM Permalink
Praveen Amre DID score his first and only Test 100 at Durban and not in India. It must be ranked one of the gutsiest knocks by an Indian Batter
Brilliant
by Einstein on Nov 16, 2006 06:33 AM Permalink
The article states that he scored a century 14 years ago. No wonder you cannot remember his century in 1996 because 2006-14=1992. Better luck with the math next time.
First read the article fully before blowing off your mouth. Its about the 1991-92 series where indeed the test was drawn. This was the inaugural test match between india and south africa. In the 1996 series, amre wasnt even in the squad. Go check the records before showing off your half baked knowledge.
RE:article
by sarath on Nov 15, 2006 11:32 PM Permalink
Dear Vijay, You have got the entire picture wrong.The article is about the series 14 years ago which means in 1992 and not 1996 and yes Amre did score a century in that first test match at Durban in 1992 which was a draw.India did go on to lose the series 0-1 eventually.The series you are talking about was in 1996 and yes Rahul Dravid was there till the end scoring some 150 odd high class runs.India did lose this series as well 0-2 after narrowly missing out on winning the final test match.Hope your doubts are cleared now. Thanks, Sarath.
RE:article
by Harsha on Nov 16, 2006 03:03 AM Permalink
Vijay, Amre scored his landmark century AT THE KINGSMEAD in the 1992-93 series, on a devilishly fast pitch. The South African pace attack had Allan Donald, Brian McMillan, Meryck Pringle and Brett Schultz. It may be mentioned that left armer Schultz looked even faster than Allan Donald at times. Almost all the Indian batsmen caved except for Amre, who showed a lot of guts to stick it out. He may not have the flamboyance of some of our bigger "Superstars", but he had courage and put a price to his wicket. Both are essential for playing fast bowling. Its a pity that people's memories are so short--we do not even seem to recognise one of the finest test hundreds made by an Indian under hostile batting conditions.
By the way last time when India toured SA we read similar comments of a weak attack but then they turned out to be good enough..... I dont know how can a team, bundled out for a mere 100 and a 60 in 2 innings, claim to be good on those tracks... God Save You Tigers!!!!!
With the legendary weakness on fast pitches any attack is good enough for us.. just try to remember the last time when we won on a fast paced pitch... we have never done that against any genuine quality and with the likes of Pollock, NTINI, Nel coming at our million dollar batsmen with extravagant batting mannerisms and strokeplay (wristy) we are bound to fail....
