India thrashed by innings by 10 man South Africa in 3 days of 1st test

 

The Indian team visit to South Africa for several years  to play Tests but the picture does not change.  Rohit Sharma's team is not winning the series this time either.  In the first Test, India ended in a batting failure at Centurion and lost by 32 runs and an innings to a 10 man South Africa.  Temba Bavuma could not bat for South Africa.  That did not stop India from losing.

 On the first day of the Test, captain Bavuma had a leg strain while fielding.  He could no longer enter the field and did not even bat.  After that, South Africa won the match by batting only one innings.

 India batted for 245 runs in the first innings.  If Lokesh Rahul had not played an innings of 101 runs in that innings, India would have finished with fewer runs.  In that innings, Rohit,  Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and others failed to handle the South African pacers.  The second innings was no different.  Jaiswal edged the first ball.  Wicketkeeper Kyle Verreyene dropped that catch.  Apart from this, three more catches were made by the South African fielders.  Otherwise, India might have finished earlier on Thursday.

 Kagiso Rabada took 5 wickets in the first innings.  Nandre Berger took 4 wickets in India's second innings while Marco Jansen took 3 wickets.  The two left-handed pacers explained where the Indian batsmen are lacking.  Playing on the South African pitch requires handling both bounce and swing.  Indian batters could not do that.

Rohit got a great delivery from Rabada that seamed slightly away and hit the off stump for nought.  Jaiswal got a snorter from Burger ad was caught behind for 5 . Gill after hitting some sumptuous shots was bowled by Jansen for 26 , Iyer was also bowled by Jansen for 6 while Rahul (4) and Ashwin (0) succumbed to Burger . The rest fell apart without a trace except one man . 

 Virat Kohli played a gritty knock of 76 runs off 82 balls in the second innings. He did have his moments of luck and was offered many loose deliveries of which Virat hit 12 fours and a six.  He was in the mood for one day's cricket . Virat was explaining that it is possible to handle the pacers on this tough pitch  by counter-attacking, but it is not possible to play the whole test that way.  Before the second Test, India will have to figure out how to handle the South African quicks 

Not only the batters, but also the bowlers have to take responsibility for this loss.  Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, South Africa did not have  to handle the pace of any bowler among the Indian pacers.  Dean Elgar, who scored a magnificent 185 runs in the last Test series of his life, was playing just watching Bumrah's overs.  Jansen's strokeful  innings of 84 runs is enough to explain the rest of India's bowling.

 Mohammed Shami is not in this series.  India felt the loss of his absence in red ball cricket.  Shardul Thakur and Prasidh combined for 194 runs.  They took one wicket each.  Mohammed Siraj took 2 wickets with 91 runs.  Bumrah took 4 wickets there with 69 runs.  Ravichandran Ashwin took a wicket with 41 runs .  Shubman Gill missed two catches off his ball.  Otherwise, Ashwin's wicket tally could have increased.

 India has come to play two Test series in South Africa.  Even if Rohit wins the Test starting from January 3 next year in Cape Town, they will not be able to win the series.  The goal now is to save the series.