Faf Du Plessis South Africa India cricket South Africa Cricket Team India Cricket Team South Africa vs India on Faf Du Plessis South Africa India

"They Are Used To...": Faf Du Plessis' Crystal Clear Take On India's Troubles In South Africa

sports.ndtv.com

Former South Africa cricket team skipper Faf du Plessis explained why India batters find it difficult to negotiate the Proteas conditions.

India have never won a Test series in South Africa and it will be an achievement that the Rohit Sharma-led side will look to finally conquer when the take the field in the Test series starting December 26 in Centurion.

Faf explained that South African pitches provide an extra bounce in comparison to Indian pitches and that creates an 'additional risk' for Indian batters. "It's the bounce.

There is almost one full hand of extra bounce here, compared to what they usually face in India. They are used to hitting the ball on the up there, but with the bounce on offer and lateral movement, there is additional risk at play if you haven't done it before and are not used to the lift.

Related News
The second Test match between India and South Africa lasted less than two days as the Rohit Sharma-led side emerged victorious in the second session of Day 2. Following the match, the Newlands pitch came under the scanner as both experts and fans criticised it for the short duration of the match. However, legendary South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn had a different opinion as he said that pitches deteriorate over time and that cannot be blamed for a match getting over in under two days. He even went on to say that a 'Two day Test' is not a Test match at all.
With just one wicket to go and three reviews remaining, the Indian cricket team decided to make use of their resources, although knowing that the result was unlikely to come in their favour. Mohammed Siraj hit South Africa's Nandre Burger high on the right right, on Day 2 of the second Test at Cape Town, but the umpire had little interest in rewarding Team India's appeal. However, realising that India have three DRS calls to spare, Rohit contemplated going for a review, after a brief discussion with teammates, but eventually decided against taking it.
If 23 wickets fall in one day of a Test match, only two short of the all-time record, there are bound to be question marks. It cannot just be the poor batting or great bowling, there has to be something more than that. And if those 23 wickets fall on the first day of a Test then the questions will be more. That is what is happening after the first day of the second Test between India and South Africa in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Former England cricket team skipper Michael Vaughan called the Indian cricket team "one of the most underachieving sports teams in the world" following their heavy loss in the first Test match against South Africa in Centurion on Thursday. India were completely outplayed by the hosts and it meant that their wait for a Test series win in South Africa continues following the defeat.  “Do you think, in terms of cricket, India are one of the most underachieving sports teams in the world?” Vaughan asked fellow expert and former Australia cricketer Mark Waugh during their discussion on FOX Sports.
After being bowled out for just 131 runs, India suffered a massive defeat by innings and 32 runs against South Africa on Day 3 of the first Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday. The result marked India's worst defeat in a Test match on South African soil, surpassing their previous low in December 2010 when they faced an innings and 25-run loss at the same venue. Trailing by 163 runs, India were bowled out for 131 in their second innings on Day Three to go one down in the first of the two-match Test series. Only Virat Kohli managed a score of 76, as nine Indian batters failed to reach double figures. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill fought briefly before departing for 26.
KL Rahul was in tremendous form as he slammed a gritty century on Day 2 of the first Test match between India and South Africa in Centurion on Wednesday. The innings was crucial for India as the visitors kept losing wickets on the other end and it impressed both experts and fans alike. Following the match, during the analysis on his YouTube channel, former India opener Aakash Chopra was all praise for Rahul but said that whether the innings will go down in history as "one of the best" will depend on how much the broadcasters, media and social media play it out in the future.

Latest News

Change privacy settings
This page might use cookies if your analytics vendor requires them.