Courtesy Indian batsmen, India went on to lose the Cape Town Test by 72 even after the Indian pacers setting it up beautifully. Indian pacers gave India a great chance to start on a winning note but India’s batting collapsed like some house of cards.
Now as action moves to Centurion, India should learn from its mistakes. India has gone about making 3 changes in the playing XI. Shikhar Dhawan and Saha have been made to sit out while KL Rahul and Parthiv Patel came to the eleven. In a rather very surprising decision, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been dropped from the playing XI.
Now when the Indian batsman bat a the Centurion they would of course know that this pitch has more pace and bounce than the Cape Town one. India is upcoming a lethal pace attack even though Steyn doesn’t feature in it. We hope Indian batsmen would learn from their miserable mistakes that costed them their wicket at Cape Town.
Here are a few things the Indian batsmen shouldn’t do at Centurion
1. Not to touch deliveries outside off
Like last time, Indian batsmen must not throw their bats at deliveries outside off. We saw in the second innings now Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma threw away their wickets at deliveries outside off.
Indian batsmen must be resolute to leave alone the deliveries out side off.
2. Not to be trapped in defence
Indian batsmen were too much on the back foot in the first test. They were giving the South African bowlers a chance to keep them scared.
The batsmen shouldn’t become way too defensive by just the idea of having a lethal pace attack against them.
Time and again, Indian batsmen should look to play their shots, that’s where South Africa is successful as a team. They always have a positive intent.
3. Shouldn’t let Keshav Maharaj settle
Image Source: Cricketinhindi.com
It’s a formidable pace attack against India and India would know that scoring against it wouldn’t be easy. But there’s a weak link in the South African bowling which will be Keshav Maharaj.
India must not let Keshav Maharaj settle and look to score against him. He would bring scoring opportunities whenever he walks into the attack, India must not let him settle.
4. Shouldn’t let Philander be on the top
Bygones and bygones. Philander decimated Indian batting at Cape Town but at Centurion India shouldn’t make him feel as if they are scared of him. If India makes Philander believe that they are too cautious and too scared of him then he’ll be over the top and incur a lot of damage.
