T20 World Cup 2022: "If you knew the conditions were going to be difficult, you should have been happy with a smaller total" - Ajay Jadeja on Team India's batting against South Africa

Former cricketer Ajay Jadeja questioned Team India's batting approach following their five-wicket loss to South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2022 on Sunday, October 30.

During a discussion on Cricbuzz, Jadeja noted that skipper Rohit Sharma said after the match that they were aware of the difficult batting conditions in Perth. He opined that if that was the case, the Men in Blue should have aimed for a smaller total instead of trying to up the ante right from the start.

He explained:

"He [Rohit Sharma] said that we knew that the conditions are going to be difficult. So if you knew the conditions were going to be difficult, you should have been happy with a smaller total instead of trying to be so aggressive."

Former pacer Zaheer Khan also reacted to Sharma's comments during the discussion. He was impressed with the skipper, pointing out the mistakes that cost them the game.

The 44-year-old emphasized now that they have identified their flaws, they can work to overcome that ahead of their remaining fixtures. He added:

"At least he knows what has gone wrong. Once you accept it, it will be easier for you to change it. This is the best thing you can hear right now when the captain, in like five minutes post the game, knows exactly what has happened."

#TeamIndia fought hard but it was South Africa who won the match.

We will look to bounce back in our next game of the #T20WorldCup . 👍 👍

Scorecard ▶️ bit.ly/INDVSA-T20WC

#INDvSA https://t.co/Q6NGoZokuE

The Indian batters struggled against the Proteas pacers in Perth, with Suryakumar Yadav being the saving grace with his 68-run knock. South Africa claimed a comprehensive win, chasing down the target of 134 with two balls and five wickets to spare.

"South Africa, in these conditions, are superior to both India and Pakistan" - Ajay Jadeja

Jadeja went on to say that South Africa are a formidable side in seam-friendly conditions in Australia, ranking them higher than India and Pakistan.

He stated that the side proved their worth, trumping Rohit Sharma and Co., who are among the favorites to clinch the cup.

While Jadeja admitted that skipper Temba Bavuma has struggled for form with the bat, he lauded him for his captaining the side well. Jadeja added:

"India are a very good side that can go to win this World Cup. South Africa managed to beat this side, still with just 10 players. The 11th one has still not delivered. But he is doing a great job and is leading that team pretty well.

"I thought that the game against Pakistan was going to be crucial. But South Africa, in these conditions, are superior to both India and Pakistan."

Points table of Group 2 in Super 12. https://t.co/DONJdxrI4y

Bavuma and Co. are now the table-toppers in Group 2 with five points in their tally in three matches. India, on the other hand, are placed second with four points from three fixtures.