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Former opener Aakash Chopra didn’t hold back in his criticism of India following their defeat by an innings and 32 runs to South Africa in the first Test at SuperSport Park. Aakash Chopra pointed out the batters’ apparent reluctance to play gritty and take body blows, while he expressed concern about the undercooked bowling department.
KL Rahul’s exceptional 101 provided India with a fighting total of 245 in the first innings, but the change bowlers, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna were deemed ineffective, conceding 194 runs in 39 overs for just two wickets. South Africa’s Dean Elgar seized the opportunity, scoring a majestic 185 and leading his team to a substantial lead.
Chopra remarked, “When the third day’s play began, I felt there was a realistic chance of an Indian fightback. But that did not happen. An innings defeat is quite humbling. Except for (KL) Rahul in the first innings and (Virat) Kohli in the second, the others did not look convincing.”
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He criticized India’s batters for not being willing to play ugly and withstand body blows. Chopra noted that no one, apart from Rahul and Virat Kohli appeared ready to tough it out in challenging conditions. While praising Elgar’s outstanding performance, Chopra emphasized that India needed more substantial contributions from the team’s young batters, especially Shubman Gill.
Chopra expressed concern about India’s bowling, highlighting the contrasting performances of the South African and Indian bowlers. He emphasized that South Africa’s bowlers stood tall and extracted better bounce and movement, while India’s bowling unit looked undercooked, with only Bumrah and Siraj performing in patches.
In conclusion, Chopra acknowledged the possibility of India leveling the series but stressed the need to change the name of the “Final Frontier” to Dean Elgar, considering his consistent impact against India.
-IANS
