Team India may take three positives from their 1-1 Test series tie with South Africa.
Team India may take three positives from their 1-1 Test series tie with South Africa
India concluded their trip of South Africa without winning their maiden Test series in the Rainbow Nation, but they had lot to be pleased of.
No Asian side has ever won a Test match in Cape Town. Despite Aiden Markram’s stunning second-innings century and favorable bowling conditions.
The visitors broke the record with a seven-wicket victory in just over four hours.
Overall, while Rohit Sharma and his team still have plenty of worries in the Test format, there were a few important takeaways from the high-profile series, which was part of the World Test Championship.
Here are three takeaways from India’s 1-1 Test series tie with South Africa.
1. India’s slip catching was a welcome sight
Because this is not often a visible component of cricket, it may have slipped under the radar.
However, slip catching has been an issue for India on previous international visits, and watching them take everything that came their way was a heartening sight for team supporters.
In the first Test, Shubman Gill missed a chance off Ravichandran Ashwin, but India was near-perfect against the quicks.
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Kohli, Gill, Jaiswal, and Shreyas Iyer efficiently manned the slip cordon, while Rohit positioned himself beneath the cover close-in to help as well.
Gill, Jaiswal, and Iyer are yet to be named to the Test XI. India will want this not just to bolster their batting lineup, but also to have some solid slip catchers.
2. India’s key men, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, were at their best
The Indian Test squad is undergoing a time of transformation. The squad is held together by a few pillars, the most crucial of whom being Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah.
Kohli and Bumrah, widely regarded as India’s top Test hitter and bowler, were both at their best in Cape Town.
While the former top-scored in the first innings, the latter took six wickets in the second and was named Player of the Series.
It’s worth noting that the South Africa series was Bumrah’s first after recovering from a long-term back ailment. Meanwhile, Kohli had not been at his best in red-ball cricket in the previous calendar year.
One of the most significant advantages for India was that their two major guys stepped up on a regular basis.
3. After being hammered in Centurion, India bounced back well
India’s performance in Centurion was deplorable. The visitors were thrashed by an inning and 32 runs, and everything fell apart.
While Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and Prasidh Krishna did not shine with the ball, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul were the only two batsmen to contribute.
In the series opener, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal were significant disappointments.
India, on the other hand, fared much better in the second Test. Siraj had one of his finest bowling performances of his career, while Rohit and Jaiswal batted well at the top of the order.
It would not have been simple for the two-time World Test Championship finalists to regain their form, but they accomplished so in difficult circumstances.
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