Guwahati, Nov 24 Former India captain Anil Kumble was critical of the hosts' batting display in the ongoing second Test against South Africa, terming it as ‘quite poor’ and lacking the necessary discipline, application, and patience.
On the third day of the match at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, India were bowled out for 201 in their first innings, leaving South Africa in a commanding position to win the game and series with a lead of 314 runs. At the end of the second day, spinner Kuldeep Yadav had termed the pitch "a road", but the Indian batters failed to step up and make big runs.
After openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal fell, reckless shot selection resulted in a big collapse, leaving India staring at the possibility of a series defeat to South Africa. The hosts, being reduced from 95/1 to 122/7 in the space of a session and a half, came in an abject manner.
"I felt India’s batting effort was quite poor. The application and patience required in Test cricket were missing. While there were some good deliveries, the batsmen didn’t seem prepared to endure tough spells or play session by session.”
“It seemed like the aim was to chase runs quickly, which is unrealistic in a Test match where 489 runs need to be built gradually. Respecting the opposition bowlers and their spells is crucial, but India didn’t show enough of that resilience,” said Kumble on JioStar.
Moreover, the dismissals of B. Sai Sudharsan, Dhurv Jurel, and skipper Rishabh Pant in the space of 13 balls can be summed up as brain fade, as left-arm fast-bowling all-rounder Marco Jansen took 6-48.
“Marco Jansen bowled exceptionally well, putting India under consistent pressure. When he started bowling bouncers, which can be tricky given his height and awkward length, India appeared unprepared to either leave or take the blows. That approach is essential in Test cricket to survive challenging spells, but unfortunately, it was lacking in India’s approach today," added Kumble, who coached India from 2016-17.
He also went on to laud South Africa’s clinical dominance over three days in the second Test, while adding that the Indian batters could have fared better if they showed the grit which Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav displayed in their 72-run stand.
"South Africa has been spot on, even in their selection choices. Muthusamy came in as an all-rounder who bowls sparingly, but his century was a major contribution. The partnership between him and Marco Jansen effectively took the game away from India.”
“Looking at India’s performance today, Jansen bowled with clear intent and discipline, and India simply gave in. The fight and grit we saw from Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav in the lower order were missing from the top order, which was needed on a pitch like this.”
“South Africa has dominated the match for three days and will be very satisfied with their position—leading by 325 runs with two days still left means they’re in a commanding spot," he concluded.
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