India vs South Africa, 2nd Test: After a below-par performance during the 1st Test against South Africa at Centurion, Rohit Sharma-led Team India is looking to stage a comeback and draw the Test series with a win in a second Test match. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma faces multiple dilemmas ahead of the second Test as the team requires some changes in bowling and re-strategise their batting approach.
India lost the first Test by one innings and 32 runs as Indian batters failed to hold their ground at the bouncy pitch of Centurion, while the pacers couldn’t deliver their best spells against experienced batters like Dean Elgar (185), who established strong partnerships for South Africa and strengthened the team on Day 2.
Ravindra Jadeja’s comeback
India’s all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is all set to make a comeback in the second Test. His absence was truly felt in the last match as the pitch of Centurion didn’t allow much turn to Ravichandran Ashwin, who also failed to deliver anything significant with the bat.
Rohit Sharma is likely to keep Ravichandran Ashwin out from the second Test and Jadeja is expected to replace him in the playing XI.
The pacer question
The pitch of Centurion is known as the pacer’s paradise and while South African pacers Kagiso Rabada and Nandre Burger used that well to demolish Indian batters, India’s pace responsibility fell on Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Shardul Thakur’s inconsistency was clearly visible, while Prasidh Krishan didn’t have the required experience for Test bowling.
Rohit Sharma has to make to decision if he wants to replace the young pacers with Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan, who also don’t have much experience in Test cricket. The new bowlers can bring the unpredictability factor to the game and that might work against the South African batters.
Batting rejig
India’s top order also needs some rejig as Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill looked less than ordinary against the fiery South African pacers. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul showed some strength in the middle order, but the tail-end batters also failed to make much effort for the team.
If Ravindra Jadeja returns to the playing XI, we are looking at a much better anchor in the middle order. Rohit Sharma’s decision to replace Shardul Thakur will also depend upon the batting depth India wants as Thakur has shown some performance with the bat, but was not very effective during the first Test match.
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Published: 02 Jan 2024, 06:08 PM IST
