After Virat Kohli’s team beat South Africa in the Delhi Test match in 2015. Former Indian fielding coach R Sridhar admitted that he wanted to quit his job.
In the fourth and final Test of the bilateral series in Delhi in 2015. Team India’s massive 337-run victory over South Africa was sealed by Ajinkya Rahane’s masterful batting and Ravichandran Ashwin’s heroic bowling.
Virat Kohli, a local hero, had led Team India and said that the famous victory was the best of the bilateral series between the two countries.
Kohli and co. completed the Test match against South Africa within three days at the time. Just like how India defeated Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023.
In the second innings of the thrilling Test match at Arun Jaitely Stadium, Kohli’s team had to work hard for every wicket.
At Delhi, cricket icons AB de Villiers and Hasim Amla exemplified South Africa’s resistance.
The Delhi Test match between India and South Africa provided former Indian fielding coach R Sridhar with one of the most difficult lessons of his coaching career.
In his new book, “Coaching Beyond,” he takes a trip back in time: The former Indian fielding coach said in “My Days with the Indian Cricket Team” that he wanted to quit his job after the Delhi Test match in 2015.
During my time with the Indian team, I picked up some hard lessons fairly early on. One of the most significant occurred at the Kotla in the series finale against South Africa in 2015.
By tea on day five, it appeared as though South Africa might be able to prevent us from scoring a third victory in a row. We had already taken a 2-0 lead.
At the series’ final interval, South Africa was only five points behind thanks to AB’s historic stonewalling and the unwavering support of Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis. If it came to that, we were also prepared for a deadlock, Sridhar recalled.
We were going to give it one last push on a dismal December evening. At tea time, we had a quick conversation regarding reverse swing.
It was decided that Ashwin and Umesh Yadav would start the proceedings. We instructed Umesh to drop his bowling hand slightly and deliver slightly away from his ear so that the more round-arm-like angle of release could assist him in finding the reverse.
That’s when I lost focus,” Sridhar continued.
In the fourth Test match against India, Amla, a former South African batsman. Had played a patient knock of 25 off 244 balls.
Amla’s accomplice at the time was De Villiers, a former captain of the Proteas. In the second innings at Delhi, it was the responsibility of the legendary South African batter to frustrate the Indian bowlers.
De Villiers, who is known for his explosive batting style, played a marathon inning of 43 over 297 deliveries.
I slipped into the common area between the teams after the team talk was over and began chatting with Prasanna Agoram, an old friend and South African video analyst. Time flew by completely for me.
I typically set up a catching station before the players return to the field for the start of a session. In the event that someone wanted to bowl a few warm-up deliveries, I would have a mitt on hand.
When someone suddenly shouted, “Sri bhai, Sri bhai,” I suddenly forgot all of that this evening,” the former Indian fielding coach went on.
Sridhar then saw Kohli, who was clearly unhappy with the Indian fielding coach at the time. When I heard the voice from the ground, I froze for a moment. My heart sank as I snuck a peek at my watch.
I raced down the numerous steps to the ground, but by the time I reached ground level. The Indian team and the umpires had already entered.
Virat finally saw me when he turned around. He shrugged his shoulders and spread his arms wide with a neutral expression on his face.
In Delhi, Kohli’s men turned the tables on the hosts by ensuring that the Proteas lose for 143 in 143.1 overs.
Amla was cleaned up by Ravindra Jadeja, and spin master Ashwin took the winning wicket of De Villiers.
The seasoned all-rounder took five wickets (5/61) as India defeated South Africa by 337 runs in Delhi to win the series 3-0. Sridhar, however, was not in the mood to celebrate India’s victory over the Proteas.
After the less-publicized incident, Sridhar even considered quitting his job. After the tea, there was a fantastic play.
Ashwin got AB at backward short leg, Umesh bowled superbly, Saha took a blinder leaping to his right, and the game changed in a flash. But none of it made any sense.
I couldn’t believe I had done what I was supposed to do. I had lost track of the game because it was the series’ final session. My first thought was that I would have to leave the Indian team and my job when the captain looked disappointed in me.
I choose the more constructive option, which is to treat every day as my first day at the office. No matter what, and I am glad I did,” Sridhar continued.
Under Kohli’s leadership, India became the No. 2 Test team in 2015 by defeating the Proteas 3-0 at home.
Ashwin, a spin wizard, won Player of the Series after breaking the Proteas block then. In the four-match series, Ashwin took 31 wickets.
From 2014 to 2021, Sridhar led the men’s team as the fielding coach during his incredible career with Kohli’s men.