"When You Get Opportunity...": Rohit Sharma's Blunt Message To "Other 3" Pacers After 1st Test Loss

Jasprit Bumrah lacked support from other end as there was no reason to concede 400 plus runs on a bowling friendly track where South African speedsters showed how to go about the job, a dejected Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said on Thursday. India lost the opening Test inside three days by an innings and 32 runs after scoring 245 and 131 in the two innings but the game-changer certainly was being taken for 408 runs by South Africa in their first innings.

Save Bumrah, who took four wickets and to an extent Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna got pasting of their lives.

"This was not a 400-run wicket and we gave too many runs. We sprayed the ball all around, but it happens. One can't depend on one particular bowler (Bumrah), the other three pacers also needed to perform their roles, we could learn from how South Africa bowled," Rohit said after the match.

He admitted that although there wasn't lack of effort but Bumrah couldn't alone keep the pressure on Proteas batters.

"Bumrah bowled well and we all know his quality. All he wanted was a bit of support which he didn't get. That happens. All three tried hard, bending their backs but didn't happen the way we wanted to. But games like these teaches you a lot as to what you want to do as a bowling unit," the skipper observed.

Young Prasidh, who has just had 12 first-class matches under his belt, couldn't get the measure of bounce and carry at Supersport Park and went for 93 runs in 20 overs on Test debut.

The skipper conceded Prasidh is a bit under-cooked but also insisted that his team would show faith in him.

"Of course, he is a little bit inexperienced. He has got the tools to come out here and play the game. Obviously, if I look at the bowlers that we have