From a surprise win against Australia at the same time last year, to an aggressive surrender against South Africa in the recent series, Indian cricket has followed a hopelessly disappointing path.
Last year, a full-strength Aussies lost to a troubled Indian team, missing several star players, and lost the first Test badly that included the notoriety of being dismissed for 36. In the following three Test matches, India put up a great fight for victory. With huge odds against them to save two and a match.
Against South Africa, it was the other way around. India was in full force while the Proteas were in turmoil. The ongoing controversy regarding racism in the country’s cricket has heated up. With several key players (Amla, de Villiers, Philander, du Plessis) retiring or leaving the five-day format over the years, the team was much weaker than in 2018.
India vs South Africa: full coverage , photos , the schedule , result
Star bowler Enrique Nortje suffered an injury and brilliant wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock quit Test cricket after the first Test before the series began. After losing the first match by a huge margin, South Africa’s chances of surviving a massive loss in the series were near zero.
As it happened, the next two Tests came as setbacks for India. On top of this, Australia (2020-21) and South Africa (2021-22) have surprising contrasting results. Whether it is an enigma or something more serious, as the results of overseas matches show, is something that needs a rigorous investigation.
The final of the World Test Championship was lost to New Zealand. India were ranked No. 1 and favourite, but the Kiwis turned the tables in a tough encounter. The series against England is yet to be decided. India lead 2-1 with one match to be played, but it has also been a tough contest, although England were one of the weakest teams in the world, even playing at home.
Now this defeat comes to South Africa. In fact it is a defeat. Losing in two consecutive matches to a team that seemed easy to pick at the start of the series was an unexpected and steep fall. This raises many questions about the country’s much-hyped talent pool as well as the selection policy, especially in choosing a playing XI on the tour.
Fragile batting once again became trouble for India, as has been the case for more than two years now. The first test had only one score over 300. India winning this match is a clear indication of where the bigger problem lies. In the next two Tests, India’s totals jumped to a little over 200 and fell to 198 in the crucial second innings of the third match, leaving South Africa a fairly easy target to overhaul.
Teams that score less than 325–350 in the first innings in foreign matches in SENA countries leave themselves vulnerable, especially in low-scoring competitions. India lost the advantage of being below the first innings score by winning the toss in the second and third Tests and had to pay a heavy price.
Technical and mind-boggling shortcomings led to a staggering and persistent collapse that kept South Africa looking for a win even after taking a first-innings lead. The relatively inexperienced Proteas won the second and third Tests by seven wickets each time, as they showed more courage, character, restraint and ability than the much more experienced, star-studded Indian team.
India had no one to score two centuries in the series (Rahul and Pant), South Africa. But don’t let this figure confuse you. Three of the top 5 run-getters were from South Africa. Not only that, players like Dean Elgar, Temba Bavuma and Keegan Pietersen scored in the second innings when it mattered most, in the second innings, chasing hard runs, riding on gum, controlled aggression and certainty. Exciting strokeplay, especially in Peterson’s case. ,
In contrast, India’s top-order batting looked largely sluggish, tentative and cumbersome. Rahane and Pujara’s senior pros, who were under pressure before the start of the series, made it worse for themselves with failure after failure. Some of the clickers, like Rahul, Kohli, Pant, were unable to maintain form through the series, and their inconsistency hurt India badly.
Rohit Sharma’s absence was acutely felt, and Kohli’s exit from the second Test was undoubtedly a blow. Still, what batting resources should have been enough for India to improve South Africa. Failure to do so should be considered a monumental flop show. Even Kohli, who showed signs of emerging from a lean trot, could not establish right in the middle as he was known to be at his best. His 29-run stone in the second innings of the last Test allowed the South African pacers to crush the runs despite Pant’s pyrotechnics at the other end.
Why Hanuma Vihari, who made a good impression playing the second Test for injured Kohli, was placed third, was a poor call. Thickening for Pujara or Rahane’s experience, either way, and dropping an in-form batsman shows not only poor strategy but also an apprehensive mindset: the fear of defeat forced the team management to turn to the struggling giants wanted himself. time up!
Read also | South Africa tour of India 2021-22: Report card of Indian team
India’s selectors, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli, have serious concerns about the top-order batting after this unfavorable result. In home conditions, Indian batsmen are ridiculed, but they are often exposed overseas. Some heads will roll a suspect.
The pacers were brilliant, tried to give their best, but with poor scores to defend, kept twitching their hands in despair. Though it must be said that in this department too, Bumrah, Shami, Thakur and Co were outclassed by Rabada, Janssen, Ngidi, Olivier. This was especially true when bowling in the second innings, where South Africa bowled with greater transparency and scrutinized the batsmen, while India’s bowlers flagged in similar conditions.
In the first innings, the Indian attack picked up 30 wickets in the series, only 16 in the second innings, and almost doubled the cost, which is a remarkable statistic. In this brilliant fielding, especially in the slips, and the home team was ahead in all departments of the game.
In fact, the South Erics were so good that they can now look to the future with optimism. Pietersen is an outside batsman from the top drawer and debutant Marcus Jensen’s constant control and hostility mark him as a special talent. Rabada was a brilliant spearhead and Ngidi delivered whenever the ball was thrown at him.
Elgar from South Africa also has a captain who is brave, determined but has a calm mind even in deep trouble, which helps him keep the team together. He was astonished by India’s superior ranking and the star status of many of its players, and it engulfed all its players, who fought hard and uncomplicatedly.
Read also | ‘India decided they weren’t going to win’: Sunil Gavaskar criticizes Kohli & Co strategy in Cape Town Test
India had their moments but couldn’t take advantage when it mattered. Kohli’s tussle over the DRS’ decision to go Elgar’s way in the final Test that became the defining moment of India’s series-winning effort is a poor comment on the team’s resolve. Technology has its drawbacks, true, but to blow a fuse like Kohli’s was bad form. There have been decisions in the past that would have gone in favor of India, so these things are also out there.
Kohli’s blatant anger only exposed the frustration and anger that was brewing in the dressing room. The root cause of this was the inadequacy of his own team, not the technology. If passion and aggression had been channeled better, it might have had a different story to tell.
get all IPL news and cricket score Here
,