South Africa v India 2013: 1st Test - Day 2: Flops of the Day

After what was another truly brilliant day of spectacular cricket, India and South Africa will go back and do some retrospective analysis. Some players performed brilliantly, and some not quite as expected. Here are the 5 of the flop shows on Day 2.

1. Indian Lower Order Batting

Although they were faced with some quality bowling from Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, India will feel agitated that they lost their last 5 wickets for just 16 runs. It was a string of indecisions from MS Dhoni, then Ajinkya Rahane, then Zaheer Khan that led to the collapse. With Dhoni and Rahane, there was no conviction with the defensive strokes that they got out to, and they will be kicking themselves for that, knowing that had they occupied the crease for longer, they could have got India to a potentially match-winning total.

2. Jacques Kallis

Kallis’s batting has gone on an alarmingly downward spiral since the beginning of 2013, and that does not augur well for South Africa. For a team which has got used to Kallis performing both as a specialist batsman and a specialist bowler, this is new territory for South Africa. Today again, Kallis was sent back to the pavilion without a contribution to the score. The first ball that he faced, Ishant Sharma bowled a full and straight delivery, to which Kallis played across the line. He was struck on the pads, and was caught plumb in front of the wickets.

3. AB de Villiers

South Africa had lost Kallis, Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith within the space of 9 balls. So, it was up to their crisis man, AB de Villiers, who has pulled them successfully out of trouble on many an occasion throughout his career. But, today, that was not to happen, as de Villiers got stuck on the creaseto a full delivery from Mohammad Shami and was caught infront of the stumps.

4. Ravichandran Ashwin

Much was expected out of Ashwin being the only spinner in the side, but he let his captain down in the 6 overs that he bowled on the day. Ashwin failed to keep the run flow in check and the batsmen easily maneuvered the singles off him. Ashwin was guilty of not flighting the ball enough. He predominantly bowled them short of a length and at a pce higher than what he normally bowls. Had he stuck to his usual length an pace, Ashwin might have got something out of the wicket, as it had some bounce in it, and that is something that Ashwin thrives on.

5. India’s catching

2 dropped chances that, had they been taken, could have altered the balance of play at the end of Day 2. As Zaheer Khan was troubling Graeme Smith in his first spell, he induced an outside edge which went through to first slip and should have been regulation low catch for Ashwin. But, Ashwin was slow to get down, and made a meal of the chance.

The second chance came when Philander and Faf du Plessis were essaying the recovery, and Mohammad Shami got du Plessis to edge to second slip, where Rohit Sharma dropped an easy chance that came at a comfortable height as well.