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South Africa landed a massive blow to India in the first Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on December 28, by crushing India's dream of notching their first Test series victory on South African soil.
With Rohit Sharma as captain and Rahul Dravid as head coach, India had set its sights on achieving their first bi-lateral Test series victory in South Africa. However, their aspirations were crushed as the Proteas dominated the first Test of the two-match series, winning by an innings and 32 runs in just three days.
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Throughout the match, India's performance was substandard in both batting and bowling. Sharma's tactical decisions regarding bowling changes were off the mark, the team lacked intensity in the field, and the batsmen fell short of living up to their esteemed reputations in the Centurion showdown.
LACKLUSTER PERFORMANCE IN SENA COUNTRIES
India's track record in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) has been notably lackluster under the coaching of Rahul Dravid. The esteemed former Indian batsman assumed the role of head coach following India's loss in the 2021 World Test Championship final against New Zealand.
Under Dravid's guidance, India has secured only a single Test match victory in SENA countries. This lone triumph occurred in the 2021 Boxing Day Test against South Africa, where India, led by then-captain Virat Kohli, defeated the Proteas by 113 runs.
During Dravid's tenure, India has participated in six Test matches within SENA countries, achieving one victory and facing five defeats. Remarkably, India has encountered consecutive losses in their last five Test matches in these nations.
NO FIGHT, NO SHOW
A particularly worrying aspect is the absence of tightly contested matches and a robust, assertive approach to take control of the game, characteristics that were prominent during the tenure of India's former head coach, Ravi Shastri.
Under Shastri's leadership, India achieved unprecedented feats for an Asian team – notably defeating Australia on their home ground not once, but twice, a remarkable achievement that greatly enthused Indian Test cricket fans.
The tenacity displayed by players like Cheteshwar Pujara, coupled with a burgeoning pace attack, propelled India to an historic 2-1 victory in Australia. This feat was replicated in 2021 with a relatively inexperienced team led by Ajinkya Rahane.
It's true that under Shastri, India did suffer defeats – 1-4 against England in 2018, 1-2 against South Africa in 2018, and 0-2 against New Zealand in 2020. However, these losses were not due to a lack of effort or fighting spirit on the field.
The 2018 Test series against England was a spirited contest, with most matches (excluding the one at Lord's) being intensely fought until the end.
Regardless of the outcomes, a persistent fighting spirit and a never-give-up attitude became synonymous with the Indian Test team during Shastri's era. This sense of determination and resilience seems to have diminished under Rahul Dravid's guidance.
The lack of India's fighting spirit was particularly apparent in their defeat at the WTC Final against Australia at the Kennington Oval. Despite having previously outplayed Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series, India couldn't rise to the occasion in this crucial match.
In the first innings, India initially had Australia in a precarious position at 76 for 3. However, they failed to capitalize on this advantage, allowing Travis Head and Steve Smith to seize control. Both players scored centuries and forged a 285-run partnership, enabling Australia to amass a formidable total of 468 runs.
A similar scenario unfolded in the second innings, where India managed to have Australia at 167 for 6 but then let them rally to a total of 260 runs.
Under Shastri's leadership, such situations were less frequent, as India employed more aggressive fielding strategies and were more effective in preventing the opposition from settling in comfortably.
WHAT's NEXT?
As India prepares to meet South Africa in the upcoming second match of the series at the Wanderers Stadium in Cape Town, a venue where India has yet to claim victory in Test cricket, the responsibility lies with Dravid and Rohit to rally their team after their significant loss in Centurion.
Considering India's track record of seven losses in eight Test series in South Africa, even securing a drawn series would be seen as a positive outcome for India on South African turf. To achieve this, the world's top-ranked Test team must demonstrate their prowess and achieve their first-ever Test win at Wanderers. The concluding match of the Test series is scheduled to start on January 3.
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