India will return empty-handed from a tour which promised bagfuls of success before it commenced as, like the Test series, they lost the ODIs too to South Africa. The seven-wicket thrashing in the second ODI at Boland Park in Paarl handed the Proteas an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Chasing India’s 287/6, which included Rishabh Pant’s robust 85 off 71 balls, the hosts reached home in 48.1 overs. It was a solid all-round display from Temba Bavuma’s South Africa while the KL Rahul-led India looked mostly unimaginative on the field.
For the winners, the openers — Janneman Malan (91) and Quinton de Kock (78) — shared a 132-run stand to lay the foundation for the chase. Then Bavuma (35), Aiden Markram (37 not out) and Rassie van der Dussen (37 not out) played their parts to perfection to embarrass India.
The Indian bowlers lacked bite in their attack, with senior pros Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0/67) and Ravichandran Ashwin (0/68) putting up ordinary performances.
Rahul’s problem
India’s total apparently looked decent enough, more so because the Proteas defended almost a similar score in the first match, but a deeper scrutiny would suggest that it wasn’t what it should have been.
On a pitch which Shikhar Dhawan, before the game began, called more like “an Asian wicket”, the Indian innings lacked punch. Had it not been for Pant’s superb counterattacking knock, the visitors would have looked poorer.
The middle-order continued to lack cohesion — Virat Kohli was out for a duck — but it was actually Rahul’s knock that was more of an eyesore. The right-handed batsman, blessed with the gift of wonderful strokes and eyesight, went against his natural instinct in trying to play a restrained innings. As a result, despite getting three reprieves, he ended up consuming 79 balls for his score of 55. The idea must have been to play the anchor’s role, but he failed spectacularly at it.
Even during the IPL, whenever Rahul retreated into a shell, his efforts of playing a meaningful knock went to the drain. It is important to note that the usually-flamboyant Rahul wears this approach when he is leading the side. The pressure of captaincy perhaps gets to him and he tries to change his game. He couldn’t help Punjab Kings with such a game in the IPL and now he has failed while leading India too.
Dravid’s task
Coach Rahul Dravid has a lot to do if he wants to take this Indian team to greater heights. He has to work out better team combinations and also sit with the selectors to chalk out proper selection strategies. Players are being selected because of their performances in the IPL and then they are being thrown a completely different challenge while turning out for the Indian team. Venkatesh Iyer is a case in point. The all-rounder’s batting skills as an opener earned him a call-up and now he is being made to bat at No.6. On Friday, he scored 22 off 33 balls at a time when the team needed acceleration.
Dravid also needs to drill better sense into his players. Like after India lost Rahul, Pant threw away his wicket needlessly in the very next over. As the set batsman, he should have been more judicious.