3 mistakes India made on Day 2 of 1st SA vs IND 2023 Test
Despite two late wickets by India, Dean Elgar's first-ever century at his home ground, Centurion, set the stage for South Africa's commanding performance with the bat on Wednesday. The hosts managed to secure an 11-run lead over India, losing only five wickets on the second day, which was curtailed prematurely due to unfavorable weather conditions—bad light being the reason.
The day initially showed promise for the visitors, with KL Rahul scoring perhaps the best Test century of his career before he was dismissed by Nandre Burger. This wicket marked the pacer's third in the innings on his debut. Despite the challenging pitch, Rahul's innings helped the visitors reach a respectable total of 245.
Here we take a look at 3 mistakes India made on Day 2 of 1st SA vs IND 2023 Test:
#3 R Ashwin was under-bowled
Yes, the conditions favored the seamers, it was overcast and the pitch had enough green covering. Jasprit Bumrah was excellent while Siraj got the early breakthrough. However, after this spell, Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur were wayward and allowed all the pressure to dissipate.
This was where R Ashwin could have been used from one end. "If it seams, it spins," the late great Shane Warne always mentioned and Ashwin could certainly have bowled more than eight overs. He bowled with good control and could have made the South Africa batters work harder for their runs.
#2 Shardul Thakur kept releasing pressure
Shardul Thakur started his journey in Australia as a standout player, notching resilient runs in challenging situations, bowling with the freedom to attack, and consistently ending up on the positive side of the outcome. In his first six Tests, he claimed 24 wickets at an impressive average of 20.33.
However, in subsequent matches, despite playing in conditions favoring seam bowling, his average has risen to 58 for his six wickets. He kept drifting down the leg side far too often and conceded runs at over four per over.
Despite this, he kept getting the ball and he kept leaking runs and his lack of control allowed South Africa to dictate terms and never allowed Rohit Sharma to exert any pressure. If he does not find some wickets in this match, his place should come under the scanner after the Test series.
#1 Curious tactics with the ball after Lunch
In a baffling move, Rohit Sharma began the second session with Shardul Thakur and debutant Prasidh Krishna, deviating from the traditional approach of starting each session with the two most likely wicket-taking bowlers. Despite the lead bowlers having only a brief half-hour break before lunch in the first session, the subsequent 70-minute interval should have provided ample time for them to rejuvenate and reap the rewards for their earlier efforts.
Considering that India have not played a Test in five months and Jasprit Bumrah has been absent for a year and a half, the team might have aimed to gradually reintroduce their bowlers to their full workload. It could have been beneficial to have at least one of the two top bowlers commence the session. By the time Bumrah regained control, the bowlers had conceded 42 runs in eight overs at a critical juncture in the Test.