More than 12 hours after India’s batters managed to survive only 34.1 overs in their second innings in Centurion, Ajinkya Rahane posted his picture on social media, batting at Mumbai nets with the caption “No rest days”, ahead of the Ranji season.
Rahane, along with Cheteshwar Pujara, were benched by the national selectors in their bid to try out youngsters and build the team for the future. The results though have been disastrous — India losing by an innings and 32 runs in the opening Test of the series.
None of the batters, except for Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, could reach doubt digits in the second innings with four of them being dismissed for nought, including captain Rohit Sharma. The 131-run total portrayed the batters’ inability to counter the bounce and lateral movement on a spicy wicket.
Rohit, who had an average of 14.22 in his five previous Test matches in South Africa, never got going at the top. An impulsive pull brought about the captain’s dismissal in the fifth over in the first innings and then another Kagiso Rabada gem broke through his defence on Thursday.
A sound start is always considered essential for the late-order batters to prosper and India failed on this count in both the innings. While they were reduced to 24/3 on the opening day, they crashed to 13/2 and then 52/3 on the third day.
KL Rahul had topped the scoring charts for India in their last series in South Africa as an opener. The assurance he provided made it easier for the middle-order batters, though India had lost the series 1-2.
Kohli’s class and rich experience showed in both the innings, while Rahul once again came to the rescue in the first innings. With the openers failing on both occasions, there was too much pressure on the rest of the batters.
The abject surrender was also a reflection of the lack of preparation ahead of such an important series. It showed in the youngsters’ performance as the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Gill and Shreyas Iyer looked lost in alien conditions.
India’s preference for an intra-squad game over a proper first-class match or practice match has raised a debate following the loss.
“We have not been playing practice matches for the last five-six years,” Rohit argued. “We have even tried first-class matches, but we don’t get these kind of wickets in practice matches. It’s better we prepare on our own, make the pitch we want. When we last went to Australia, when we came to South Africa in 2018, the ball didn’t bounce above the knee on those pitches. In the Test, it flies above the head.”
India’s last tour of Australia, when they won the series for the second time in succession, was, however, different. They faced Sean Abbott and Mitchell Swepson, both part of the Test squad, on a bouncy wicket where 194 and 108 were scored in the first two innings.
Sunil Gavaskar too didn’t agree. “When you play against the local domestic teams, the players there would be motivated to impress their selectors and will play with their full strength which can provide a good preparation”, Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Unless India can find a quick solution to address their batting struggles, they will find it tough to avoid a whitewash. As captain, Rohit will have to take the lead role.
Avesh joins squad
Calcutta: Uncapped fast bowler Avesh Khan has been added to the squad for the second Test against South Africa, beginning on January 3 in Cape Town.
Avesh comes in as a replacement for Mohammed Shami who is missing the Test series because of an ankle injury.
Shami was named in the initial squad picked for the tour, subject to a fitness clearance.
The pacer is already in South Africa, representing India A after playing the three ODIs earlier this month. He is currently playing the second four-day game in Benoni, where he took a five-for on the third day.
Until that game, Avesh had played 38 first-class games for 149 wickets, averaging 22.65, with seven five-wicket hauls. He was also the leading wicket-taker for Madhya Pradesh in the last Ranji Trophy season with 38 scalps from eight games.
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