"The selection was not right" - Aakash Chopra on why Team India didn't win the 2018 Test series in South Africa
Aakash Chopra believes some incorrect strategic decisions cost India a maiden Test series win in South Africa when they toured the Rainbow Nation in 2018.
The Virat Kohli-led side suffered a 2-1 reversal in the three-match series played in January 2018. Their only win came in the third and final Test in Johannesburg after the series had already been decided.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra deliberated on India's shortcomings during their last tour of South Africa. He said:
"I felt India was very close in 2017-18, it was possible that they could have created history but the selection was not right, the decisions at crucial stages were not right and in the end, India had to face defeat."
The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that the spirited comeback and win at the Wanderers came too late in the series. Aakash Chopra elaborated:
"They [India] had lost 2-0, they won the last match after a lot of fight. They won on a bad pitch, they showed excellent spirit but it was of no use because you had already lost the series. You only get consolation on winning a dead rubber, you don't get a prize or a trophy."
India tour of South Africa
3rd Test
@Johannesburg, Jan 24-27 2018
India won the toss & elected to bat first
#India 187 & 247
#SouthAfrica 194 & 177 (73.3ov, tgt 241)
India won by 63 runs
MOM - Bhuvneshwar Kumar (IND)
#SAvsIND https://t.co/H8acyqB1K1
India defeated South Africa by 63 runs on a slightly dangerous Johannesburg pitch, where the ball climbed disconcertingly from a length. There were even calls for the Test match to be abandoned but the Indian team did not take a backward step.
"Opening did not work out well" - Aakash Chopra on Team India's batting issues in their last South Africa tour
While pointing out that the opening batting was an issue in 2018, Aakash Chopra expressed hope of KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal rising to the occasion this time around. He explained:
"Opening did not work out well. It is a problem that if the openers don't do well, then it is difficult for the team to move forward. We did well in England because Rahul and Rohit were together, here they are not together, so there will be a slight problem. Mayank will be there with Rahul, they will have to do well."
The 44-year-old concluded by recalling that Virat Kohli was the only Indian batter to hold his own while the others were found wanting. Aakash Chopra observed:
"Virat Kohli was the highest run-scorer last time. He made 286 runs at an average of 47 and after that, there was no one down the order. No one made runs, when you don't make runs, you can't win. If you don't bat four or five sessions, you can't win. India was not able to bat even three sessions."
The last time Virat Kohli batted in a test match in centurion and he smashed 153 https://t.co/zaL4WuEF7K
Apart from Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the only Indian player to average more than 30 in that series. Kohli and Rahul Dravid will hope their batters deliver the goods this time around and help Team India register a maiden Test series win in South Africa.