Team India’s Test trips to South Africa have been marked by greater lows than highs, with their most current inning loss in the 2023 Boxing Day Test at Centurion being one of the low points. Three things the present Indian squad may learn from the Centurion Test victory in 2021.
Things were quite different a few years ago when the Men in Blue became only the third team to overcome the Proteas at the Super Sport Park in Centurion.
The stunning 113-run victory will be celebrated on December 30, 2023. India took the bold decision to bat first in difficult circumstances, and the batsmen reacted admirably.
Three things the present Indian squad may learn
Patience: Batting in difficult foreign circumstances against an excellent bowling attack needs the greatest amount of patience and technical aptitude. Unfortunately, the majority of Indian batsmen lacked both in their innings defeat to South Africa in the first Test of their 2023 tour.
Adapting to the circumstances: Despite the absence of Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja, Team India produced the stronger playing XI in 2023. However, it was the hosts who took advantage of the circumstances to earn the victory, while India trailed with both bat and ball. South Africa’s four pacers were reasonably evenly matched, with Rabada and Burger standing out.
Body Language: Despite having many of the same players from the previous tour, the 2023 Indian squad appeared to be a shell of itself on the field. Apart from the technical faults, there was a definite lack of spark and intensity, which contributed to the loss. Even at the outset of the third day, when they still had some control in the proceedings, Team India’s intensity and body language were generally restrained.
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