Just a couple of years back, or maybe until late last year, it was next to impossible, to win Test matches in India for the visiting teams, let alone winning a series. But the way the team under Gautam Gambhir is playing, they are under the verge of a second white-wash in a span of a year.
SA too good for IND in Guwahati
At stumps on day 4 of the IND vs SA 2nd Test, India are 27/2, chasing a mammoth 549. In all practicality, they have another 80 overs to negotiate, with batters who are out of form, and confidence. But more than the insult caused by the losses, what is unfathomable is, India got beaten in spin — while playing and even while delivering.
The combo of Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj proved to be better than Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. And Sa coach Shukri Conrad rubbed salt to the wounds by saying, “I think we might be just a bit better equipped in these conditions.”
Shukri Conrad says..
And he might not be wrong in saying that. While South Africa have a centurion and two fifties in this Test, India just have one in the entire series — Yashasvi Jaiswal. That only goes to show, how much have the standards fallen, overall. The coach also landed the knockout punch soon.
While many believed it was the wrong decision to keep batting after lunch, Conrad came up with a sound and rational approach. He said, “We wanted them (India) to really grovel.” And that is what the opposition made the hosts do. They ended up bowling a massive 229 overs in the match.
Besides that, there is no way India can save this Test match. Sai Sudharsan has looked out of sorts, KL Rahul has been dismissed way too easily, and the others have been unreliable too.
