3 reasons why India lost the 1st Test against South Africa
Team India's hopes of winning their first-ever Test series in South Africa crumbled in a jiffy in Centurion as South Africa thrashed them by an innings and 32 runs in the opening encounter of the two-match series.
Batting contributions from Dean Elgar, David Bedingham and Marco Jansen ensured that the Proteas needed just one innings to beat their opponents. Kagiso Rabada and Nandre Burger played starring roles with the ball as the hosts wrapped things up quickly on Day 3.
Despite excellent knocks from KL Rahul and Virat Kohli in the two innings respectively, apart from a solid bowling display from Jasprit Bumrah, the visitors were always chasing the contest and eventually fell well short.
Here are three reasons why India lost the first Test against South Africa.
#3 In general, India were defensive and low on energy
None of us are body language experts, so it might seem like conjecture to suggest that India were low on energy or motivation. But it was all too evident during the South African innings that Rohit Sharma and his men weren't anywhere near as energetic as they were expected to be on the field.
Rohit's bowling changes weren't aggressive as he opted to continue with Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna after Lunch on Day 2. His field placements weren't either, with Elgar and Co. finding runs at will.
Even if you look past these tactical gaffes, you can't look past the manner in which India were going through the motions during Elgar's marathon knock. Plenty of experts, including Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, pointed out that the visitors had barely any fight in them, and it wasn't hard to see why they felt that way.
India also rolled over meekly on Day 3 and didn't seem to be there mentally at any point during the contest.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja's absence proved costly
![Ravindra Jadeja [left] is one of the pillars of the Indian lineup.](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/12/8c344-17038354099386-1920.jpg)
India were dealt a big blow on the morning of the Test as Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out with a back spasm. Instead of bolstering the lower middle-order by fielding an additional batter, the think tank decided to play Ravichandran Ashwin.
While Ashwin bowled well, Jadeja's batting insurance at either No. 6 or No. 7 was sorely missed. The veteran off-spinner was dismissed cheaply in both innings, and it didn't seem like he was able to contend with the bounce and seam movement on offer.
Jadeja has been one of India's best Test batters over the last few years, with an airtight technique and the ability to bat long hours. The southpaw would've arguably been able to give Kohli and Rahul more support, leading to an improved performance.
#1 India's supporting fast bowlers were off the mark
Without Mohammed Shami, India handed a debut to Prasidh Krishna. While the lanky fast bowler has all the ingredients to succeed at the Test level, he is clearly raw and looked out of rhythm in Centurion.
Prasidh and Thakur leaked runs throughout South Africa's innings, with Mohammed Siraj not having the best of games either. Despite Bumrah and Ashwin keeping things tight, India weren't able to keep the runs in check.
The holding role previously performed by Ishant Sharma is something India haven't been able to find a suitable candidate to take up. Shami's presence would've helped matters, but the Prasidh-Siraj-Thakur combination didn't cover themselves in glory.
That was one of the main reasons behind India's loss - the profligacy of the supporting fast bowlers, who didn't give Bumrah enough backup. In contrast, Burger bowled well to ensure that Rabada's threat didn't go in vain.