India’s batting woes, inexperienced bowling in focus heading into Cape Town Test

South Africa v India - 1st Test
Indian players celebrate a wicket in the Centurion Test. (Pic: AP)

While India had an impressive 2023, they ended the year on a low, going down to South Africa by an innings and 32 runs in the Centurion Test. They were hoping for some solace after the ODI World Cup final heartbreak. Instead, the Proteas gave them a rude reality check, dominating the first Test of the series with both bat and ball and clinching victory inside three days.

The visitors will be keen to put behind the disappointment and start 2024 on a fresh note. They will, however, go into the Cape Town Test as underdogs for sure and will need to play out of their skins to stop the Proteas from completing a 2-0 triumph. The positive aspect from India’s point of view is that they have made strong comebacks in the past few years in overseas Test series’.

India could seek inspiration from the iconic triumph in Australia in 2020-21. They also made a strong comeback during the 2021 tour of England after being hammered in Leeds by an innings and 76 runs.

Speaking of wins in South Africa, they registered a famous victory in Johannesburg in 2018 after losing the first two Tests. However, the challenge in Newlands will be of a different level. The visitors have never won a Test at the venue and both their batting and bowling are under the scanner heading into the first challenge of the New Year.


Rohit’s woeful Test record in South Africa epitomizes India’s struggles

Rohit Sharma is cleaned up by Kagiso Rabada in Centurion. (Pic: Getty Images)
Rohit Sharma is cleaned up by Kagiso Rabada in Centurion. (Pic: Getty Images)

First and foremost, captain Rohit Sharma needs to lead from the front with the willow. He has improved his red ball record in overseas conditions in recent years, but looked completely out of sorts in Centurion. The Indian captain was comprehensively undone by his nemesis Kagiso Rabada in both innings.

The big worry for India is the fact that Rohit’s struggle in the first Test was not a one-off. He has an abysmal Test record against the Proteas away from home. In five Tests in South Africa, he has managed 128 runs at a paltry average of 12.80 with a best of 47. So, it wasn’t really a surprise to see him struggle in the first Test. But Rohit’s batting woes only represent the start of the problem for India.

Take out KL Rahul and Virat Kohli and none of the Indian batters looked in any kind of rhythm during the Centurion Test.

Yashasvi Jaiswal hit a few boundaries in the first innings, but perished in his endeavor to remain aggressive.

He struggled for momentum in the second innings before being undone by a short ball from Nandre Burger. It would be unfair to be too critical on a rookie like Jaiswal, but his resolve and technique will be tested yet again in Cape Town.

In comparison to Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer are much more experienced at the Test level, but even they failed to assess the conditions properly in Centurion and perished to rather soft dismissals.

Both Gill and Shreyas are supremely talented batters, but succeeding at the top level needs much more than that, especially in hugely challenging conditions like South Africa.

The duo will be under the scanner for sure in Cape Town. They will be under pressure, but that also presents them with a great opportunity to prove that they can deliver even in most extreme conditions. These are the kind of challenges great players crave.


Jasprit Bumrah needs support

Jasprit Bumrah was India’s lone ranger with the ball in the first Test. (Pic: Getty Images)
Jasprit Bumrah was India’s lone ranger with the ball in the first Test. (Pic: Getty Images)

Apart from batting miseries, India also struggled in the first Test in Centurion because the bowling looked absolutely pedestrian in Mohammed Shami’s absence. The reliable Jasprit Bumrah was the only one who made an impact on the South African batters, claiming four wickets and keeping things tight. The inexperience in the bowling attack, though, stood exposed as the Proteas put up a 400-plus total.

Mohammed Siraj was decent, but will have to lift his game even further in Shami’s absence. It was baptism by fire for Prasidh Krishna as he looked totally out of place on Test debut. Bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur was also hugely disappointing, going at over five an over.

Thakur seems to have lost his Midas touch recently, but gets backed because of his ability with the bat, which also hasn’t done a lot of talking lately. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was economical, and given the conditions, nothing more was expected of him.


Any changes in the offing for Cape Town Test?

Despite India’s below-par showing in Centurion, skipper Rohit backed his boys and asserted that he has confidence in them to make a strong comeback. To square the two-match series, though, India will have to go all out at Newlands. And that might necessitate a few changes, although Rohit did not throw any hints at the pre-match presser.

The good news for the visitors is that seasoned all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is fit, having missed the first Test due to back spasms. He should find his way back into the playing XI, most probably at the expense of Ashwin.

There is not much India can do with the limited pace bowling resources they have. Mukesh Kumar could replace Prasidh in the playing XI, but he wouldn’t be expected to perform miracles. Also, Avesh Khan has been added to the Test squad, but India bringing him looks like a far-fetched possibility.

More than team changes, the mental resolve and technical acumen of the 11 players that step onto the field for India in the New Year Test will be the decisive factors. Having said that, the seniors will have to lead the way, starting with the captain himself. Rohit was outstanding as captain in the ODI World Cup. Can he overcome a new challenge in the new year?

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