The ICC World Cup 2011 qualifying match between Indian and South Africa ended in South Africa's victory. Thanks to Munaf patel.
If Dhoni had lost the toss maybe then he would have won the match.
Nagpur pitch has played havoc in the batting line up of North Indian Players.
When at the start Shewag and Tendulkar were playing the pitch was playing good and the ball was coming to the bat. The first sign of the pitch withering happened when Shewag was bowled. The ball had come slow and he failed to read it. This sudden change of pace in the pitch was rightly read by Tendukar naturally and so he and Gambhir went about taking singles and kept the score board moving. It was the right thing they did. When they both fell for indiscreet shots it became wide open for the bowlers to inroad the batting line up of North Indian Players.
Thus they were all out for 48.4 overs.
Dhoni was seen begging with the umpire to allow him to play the remaining overs since he was not out. The umpire told him that the rules does not permit so.
At the start of the game South Africa gave away many runs through overthrows. It gave the momentum to the Indian Innings. Shewag and especially Tendulkar were all over the bowlers regularly hitting them to the fence. Tendulkar suddenly had the taste for hitting sixes and he hit 3 sixes when he was in the grease.
He completed his first 50 runs in just 33 balls.
Vanwyk the South African wicket keeper would not have got a good sleep but for his teams victory. He missed, missed and missed many a balls behind the stumps giving life to Shewag and runs.
South Africa in their innings were playing a foolish match or that's what I thought so. They were approaching the game cautiously and so they lost the match at the end of 8 overs itself again that's what I thought so.
They failed to utilise the pitch when it was fresh after the groundmen had it rolled after the Indian Innings. They failed to realise that as the game goes by the pitch will be very difficult to play through as it did for Indians. But I was at surprise when the pitch acted good. Then I realised that at night time the pitch helps batsmen.
Thus we can't say the North Indian players just gifted away their batting power compared to South Africa and hit their head to wall before the quarter-final match.
India had once again landed in the search for a specialist bowler what with some friendly bowling by Yusuf Pathan and Yuvaraj. The absense of Ashwin was very badly felt. AB De Villiers was keeping the momentum of the score, he even hit Harbajan for a six. His innings was the real impetus. In the end Munaf patel was wanting. And Nehra in his last over finished the match in his second ball itself. What bowlers!
The ghost of Zaheer Khan kept haunting Gramhe Smith. He tried to break it by lofting Zaheer to the boundary but was out next ball giving a straight lolly pop to Tendulkar. There were other wickets falling giving hope of a North Indian victory. But in the end South Africa had their last laugh.
Qudos to Tendulkar for his great innings... even Shewag.
Why Ashwin is kept away from playing ICC Cricket worldcup eventhough he is fit and a better bowler than Chawla or Harbajan Singh.
Dhoni's views : "I have kept him for crucial matches as a surprise bowler.
This view of his is only an escapist view when he has already thought that the team should consist of only North Indian Players.
In cricket circles a group has already started calling this an North Indian cricket team and not Indian cricket team.
It is better now that South Indian cricket players form their own team and play cricket. Their limited exposure to international games will make them weak.
An Indian team can be called so when the best players from each State is chosen and is sent as the representative.
India vs England Full Match Highlights World Cup 2011
