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Indian batting units have faced formidable challenges in South Africa, establishing the nation as one of the most testing venues for the team in red-ball cricket. The ongoing two-match series further underscores the difficulties faced by India, as they succumbed to a heavy defeat in the first Test against South Africa in Centurion.
India’s defeat in the Centurion Test
In the first Test, India endured a significant setback, being bowled out for a mere 131 in the second innings, leading to an innings-and-32-run loss. Despite a noteworthy performance by Virat Kohli in the second innings, who scored 76 off 82 balls, the lack of substantial contributions from other batters proved to be a critical factor. In the first innings, KL Rahul‘s impressive century (101) stood out, but the overall team performance fell short as India posted 245 runs.
South Africa, on the other hand, showcased strength with a formidable total of 408 runs, led by Dean Elgar‘s exceptional innings of 185. The dominance displayed by the South African team further accentuated India’s challenges in the Test series.
Allan Donald’s remark on Sachin Tendulkar
Former Proteas pacer and bowling legend Allan Donald, analyzing India’s struggles, made a noteworthy remark on the achievements of Sachin Tendulkar on South African soil. Donald’s insights provide a historical context to India’s performances in the challenging conditions of South Africa.
“The only person I know who played us well was Tendulkar, who triggered (had a trigger movement) while batting in South Africa rather than stand on the middle stump. He pressed forward and left the ball amazingly well,” Donald was quoted as saying by India Today.
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Donald’s tip for Indian batters
As the second and final test of the series approaches in Johannesburg on January 3, the Indian Test team faces the task of regrouping. Donald offered advice to the visiting team’s batters, emphasizing the need for strategic adjustments to tackle the unique challenges posed by South African conditions.
“It’s not an easy place to combat. We see that daily in South Africa, the ball does nip around more than it does in Australia or England. If your footwork isn’t 100 percent then you are in trouble,” the 57-year-old added.
“If you leave the ball well here, you can score runs. You got to get bowlers to come to you and search a little bit more. They start coming to you, the opportunities of scoring get better. It’s an interesting phenomenon as it’s tough to bat. In Cape Town though, it will be a very good Test pitch. It will flatten out quickly, so you need to work very hard,” the Bloemfontein-born cricketer concluded.
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