‘From whatever I watched, India’s…’ – Former legendary batter lands down reason behind India loss in first Test against South Africa

The India cricket team had a disappointing performance in their final international match of 2023 against South Africa. In what was considered the ‘Final Frontier’ for the team, expectations were high but the outcome on the field was lacklustre. Following India’s first innings, which concluded at 245, South Africa posted an imposing total of 408 runs, which largely attributed to Dean Elgar’s impressive 185. In the second innings, Virat Kohli’s lone battle with a score of 76 wasn’t enough as India was all out for just 131. The match ended with India losing by an innings and 32 runs.

The solitary opportunity for redemption now lies if India manages a 1-1 draw. It will be India’s chance to level the series in the upcoming New Year’s Test in Cape Town. The India team displayed a subpar batting performance, indicating a lack of direction and readiness for a challenging assignment of this nature. Citing which the legendary India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar also stressed that the team’s performances fell short and also highlighted significant deficiencies in batting.

“Well played South Africa! While I initially felt the South Africa team would’ve been unhappy after the 1st innings, their pace attacks surpassed expectations and showcased remarkable skill in the 2nd innings, despite the pitch becoming more favourable for batting as the match progressed. From whatever I watched; India’s shot selection left much to be desired. Throughout the Test, only a few batters, namely Elgar, Jansen, Bedingham, @imVkohli and @klrahul truly seemed at ease with the bat, navigating the conditions with technique and poise. #SAvIND,” Sachin Tendulkar wrote in a long post on X.

Indian batting was below par

The Indian team’s lacklustre batting display indicated a lack of strategy and evident unpreparedness for a challenging assignment of this nature. Consequently, South Africa secured an insurmountable 1-0 lead in the two-match series, shattering India’s aspirations of winning a Test series in the Rainbow Nation for the first time in 31 years.

The past six to seven weeks have been extremely challenging for captain Rohit Sharma. Having faced the disappointment of losing the World Cup final in November and being relieved of the Mumbai Indians captaincy two weeks ago, he no longer resembles the leader who garnered instant favour during the World Cup. The team also mirrored its captain’s struggles, appearing dishevelled and lacking a backup plan for course correction.