Intimidated by tempo and scarred by further bounce, an under-prepared India suffered an embarrassing innings and 32 run loss to a far superior South Africa within the opening Take a look at which ended inside three days at SuperSport Park, Centurion. Having scored 245 within the first innings, the Indian batters managed solely 131 in 34.1 overs within the second innings after South Africa managed a good-looking 408 in its first essay. South Africa thus took an unassailable 1-0 lead within the two-match collection and India’s desires of successful a Take a look at collection in Rainbow Nation for the primary time in 31 years lay in tatters.
The crushing loss noticed India slip to the fifth place from the highest spot within the up to date World Take a look at Championship (2023-25) desk. In the meantime, South Africa jumped to the highest spot.
India now have 44.44 proportion factors whereas the Proteas have 100 proportion factors after successful their first recreation of the 2023-25 cycle.
Right here is the up to date WTC desk:
Solely redemption for India now might be a 1-1 draw in the event that they handle to sq. the collection throughout the New Yr’s Take a look at in Cape City.
Indian crew put up a shoddy batting present, which signified its cluelessness and singular lack of preparedness for a tricky project like this.
It has been a horrible final six to seven weeks for skipper Rohit Sharma, who misplaced World Cup closing, was faraway from Mumbai Indians captaincy two weeks again and now did not appear to be a frontrunner that made him an instantaneous favorite throughout the World Cup.
The crew additionally seemed a bit like its skipper, dishevelled and with none plan B for course correction.
As Bob Marley’s iconic “Don’t worry, Everything Gonna be Alright” blared from loudspeakers, the Indian crew have to be questioning how nothing went alright via total course of the match.
The incomparable Kagiso Rabada (2/32 in 12 overs) together with left-arm seamers Nandre Burger (4/33 in 10) and Marco Jansen (3/36 in 7.1 overs) made the Indian batters hop, skip and soar because the capability crowd having fun with their Christmas and New Yr’s trip lapped up each second of motion with nice enthusiasm.
The end result is not one bit shocking however the method of abject give up will definitely hang-out Rohit Sharma for the longest time.
Since Adelaide Take a look at match, which was additionally a ‘Boxing Day’ Take a look at again in 2020-21 collection the place India had been all-out for 36, by no means has an Indian crew seemed so ill-equipped to deal with situations that was diabolically reverse of what they get in sub-continent.
With India’s third and fourth pacers leaking runs galore, South Africa managed 408 within the first innings as Indians gave a beautiful “farewell present” to Dean Elgar, who performed an uncharacteristically attacking innings of 185 in his penultimate Take a look at.
Even Marco Jansen (84 not out off 147 balls) made merry on a monitor the place quick bowlers would have been licking their lips.
With 163 runs in arrears, there was little likelihood of survival on a monitor the place the ball was flying round and in addition jagging a good bit.
As soon as Elgar and Jansen batted India out of the match, least one anticipated was a good fightback however save Virat Kohli (76), who confirmed why he’s reduce above the remainder by way of approach and temperament, others had been discovered wanting.
He was the one one, who might partially conquer the bounce and acquired his physique behind the road to cowl the seam motion and in addition rode the bounce to get his 12 boundaries and a six.
The additional bounce discovered every and everybody wanting whereas skipper Rohit was finished in by one other image excellent seam-up supply by Rabada, which compelled the Indian skipper to shut his bat face and see the supply deviate simply sufficient to peg again his off-stump.
Burger, who bowled a bit extensive off the crease, constantly bowled again of size, both aiming the rib-cage or protecting at shoulder peak outdoors the off-stump.
Yashasvi Jaiswal could not sway out of the road, first innings centurion KL Rahul and Ravichandran Ashwin fished at deliveries that bounced further, whereas Mohammed Siraj acquired a bumper that might have knocked his head off.
Ditto for Shardul Thakur, who seemed terrified and scared attempting to fend a Rabada bouncer, whereas Shreyas Iyer is definitely not a person for pacey and bouncy situations.
Earlier veteran Elgar missed out on a well-deserved maiden double hundred however inflicted sufficient injury on India in firm of younger Jansen to bat the guests out of the opening Take a look at.
Elgar, whose earlier highest Take a look at rating is 199, was inching in the direction of his maiden double hundred earlier than a faint tickle to a leg-side bouncer from Shardul Thakur introduced an finish to his innings.
However that did not deter the lanky Jansen, not precisely identified for his batting prowess, from negotiating a deflated Indian assault that seemed out of kinds and bereft of concepts.
The Elgar-Jansen pair added 111 runs for the sixth wicket.
The Indian bowlers had been much more disappointing on the third morning with Shardul (1/101 in 19 overs) and Prasidh Krishna (1/93 in 20 overs) spraying everywhere, solely to be mercilessly punished by the previous Proteas skipper Elgar and Jansen.
The pair drove, pulled, reduce at will and neither the outdated ball nor the semi-new ball might result in any change in fortune for the visiting crew bowlers.
Jasprit Bumrah (4/69 in 26.4 overs) and Mohammed Siraj (2/91 in 24 overs) as soon as once more had been unfortunate as they repeatedly beat the bat of Elgar and Jansen however did not have the rub of the inexperienced going their means.
Prasidh and Thakur weren’t solely below-par but additionally missed each line and size.
Prasidh was inducted into the squad to hit the deck and generate further tempo off the floor, however he missed the trick by constantly bowling size balls. Even somebody like Gerald Coetzee dispatched him into the stands.
Prasidh is not prepared for Take a look at cricket similar to India did not look prepared for the collection.
(With PTI Inputs)
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