South Africa vs India 2018: Indians treading a similar path
The 135-run drubbing received in the second Test at the hands of South Africa in Centurion broke the winning streak of nine consecutive Test series for India. The touring team's performance, especially that of the batting unit, has come under severe scrutiny. But, if we observe how things have unfolded till now, we find a lot of similarities between the current series and the previous tour to South Africa four years back.
Previous tour in 2013
India toured the African nation on the back of great success enjoyed throughout 2013. But it was their first overseas assignment after the retirement of the legendary troika of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, and Sachin Tendulkar who had scripted many overseas victories for their team between 2001 and 2011.
The team was still transitioning. Performance-wise, the Indians did reasonably well in the Test series. The batsmen impressed against the pace bowling attack led by Dale Steyn. Virat Kohli scored 119 and 96 in the first Test while Ajinkya Rahane impressed with scores of 51* and 96 in the second.
Cheteshwar Pujara was the highest run-getter in the series for India, aggregating 281 runs including 153 in the first Test. Opener Murali Vijay got starts a couple of times, even reaching 97 in one instance.
The bowlers had an average outing though. Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma bowled well in the first Test, claiming five wickets each and Ravindra Jadeja bowled long spells in the second, returning with a six-wicket haul. In the end, the Proteas won the series comfortably 1-0, but the young Indian team's performance was well appreciated by the cricketing world.
Repetition of fortunes four years later
Fast forward to the winter of 2017. India were in a better state than four years back with the Virat Kohli-led Test team winning every series played since mid-2016. The winning streak saw them rising to No. 1 in the ICC Test Rankings which they still hold at the time of writing.
A sense of deja vu was felt when the South African tour was rescheduled, this time to accommodate a full-fledged home series against Sri Lanka.
The similarities extended to the touring Indian squad as well, with Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja boarding the flight again. But unlike last time, they are touring as a bunch of experienced campaigners with a huge weight of expectations on their shoulders.
The string of similarities does not end there though, with the series result also going in favor of South Africa. Performance-wise, the similarities end with skipper Kohli single-handedly defying the opposition bowling in the second Test with a splendid 153.
Unlike last time, the rest of the batting unit has looked clueless against the four-pronged pace bowling attack of the hosts. The openers have failed to get starts, Pujara has looked out of sorts and Rohit has once again failed to get going. But the biggest problem has been the exclusion of Rahane from the playing eleven in both the Tests.
One thing that has changed though has been the bowling performance of the Indian pacers. The pace attack of Bhuvneshwar, Shami, Ishant and Jasprit Bumrah has been extraordinary, troubling the Proteas batsman in their own den.
Alarm bells are ringing
The Indian team should take this series result a wake-up call! After this series, the Indian team will be preparing for overseas tours of England and Australia. If a course of correction is not taken at the earliest, the string of similarities will continue to extend like in 2014, when India lost the overseas Test series played in New Zealand, England and Australia.