Former India coach Ravi Shastri slammed the Indian batsmen after a horrific collapse on Day 3 of the Guwahati Take a look at in opposition to South Africa, calling the efficiency “very strange” on a floor he felt provided no demons.
His criticism got here quickly after Shaun Pollock remarked that a number of the dismissals have been “gentle,” including that such wickets might need been comprehensible “if they’d come off some sensible deliveries.” The previous South African pacer even walked viewers by a couple of of the dismissals to underline India’s culpability.
“That is nonetheless floor. This isn’t a pitch to be 142 for 7. Abnormal batting. India will not be one bit glad. It’s important to put your arms up and say that is very strange batting,” Shastri summed up as India crumbled underneath sustained stress from the guests.
IND vs SA, 2nd Take a look at Day 3 Stay Updates , rating card
The collapse was triggered by a collection of preventable errors. KL Rahul lunged at a Keshav Maharaj supply along with his arms nicely in entrance, just for the ball to pop off the splice for an easy catch within the slips. His opening associate Yashasvi Jaiswal, after a fluent half-century, fell to a supply that appeared to cease on him, check-punching it straight to quick third man.
Sai Sudharsan, recalled to the XI, squandered a promising begin by pulling a innocent Simon Harmer supply to midwicket. Dhruv Jurel, who had efficiently taken on Harmer within the first Take a look at, selected the unsuitable bowler for a similar shot, dragging a large Marco Jansen supply to mid-on.
Rishabh Pant’s dismissal left Pollock shaking his head. The wicketkeeper-batsman charged down the monitor for what the commentator described as an “old-school slog,” trying to tug a ball angled throughout him. He feathered an edge and, puzzlingly, reviewed the choice regardless of the spike displaying up clearly.
Reply to South Africa’s imposing 489, India limped to 174 for 7 at lunch, sinking deeper because the day progressed. Solely Jaiswal (58 off 97) and Washington Sundar (33*, later extending the stand) provided resistance on a day when the remainder of the batting order fell aside in opposition to disciplined bowling. Marco Jansen was relentless, ending with 4 for 43, whereas Harmer chipped in with 2 for 61.
By tea, the hosts have been 102 for 4 and misplaced three extra wickets within the second session. Kuldeep Yadav (14*), together with Washington, held sturdy in an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership value 52 off 141 balls—an effort that prevented India from sliding into an excellent deeper gap.
However the procession continued round them. Nitish Reddy gloved a Jansen bouncer off the splice to gully, the place Aiden Markram sprinted throughout from slips to finish a wonderful catch. Ravindra Jadeja tried to tackle one other Jansen bouncer however solely managed a deflection off the shoulder onto the bat, looping tamely to the slips. “Very gentle dismissals,” Pollock noticed on JioCinema, prompting Shastri to bolster his level about poor decision-making and lack of utility.
“Particular query marks about Indian batsmen. India do not play a Take a look at collection subsequent 12 months at residence. They’ve a very long time to reassess what to do at Take a look at match stage. This efficiency in opposition to South Africa will certainly damage,” former India opener Abhinav Mukund added, echoing rising considerations in regards to the crew’s red-ball course.
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