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In the ongoing first Test match at Centurion, India faced challenges on Day 2, as highlighted by former cricketer Zaheer Khan. According to Khan, the Indian team should have implemented an alternative strategy to curb the run flow after lunch. South Africa, led by opener Dean Elgar's unbeaten 140 off 211 balls, managed to put on 256 runs, overtaking India's lead by 11 runs at the close of Day 2.
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Zaheer Khan pointed out that India's pacers struggled to find their rhythm and length on the second day, which contributed to the team's inability to control the scoring rate. The trio of Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna were particularly expensive, each conceding at least four runs per over. While Siraj and Prasidh managed to take three wickets between them, Shardul was unable to secure any wickets.
"It's important to know what lengths to hit in these conditions, either to get wickets or to keep the batters quiet. Shardul and Prasidh failed to find that length today," Zaheer said on Cricbuzz.
"The session after Lunch when both of them were operating together, that was the time when South Africa played a lot of shots. At that time, India should have had a Plan B or should've made some fielding changes to stop the flow of runs, which would have helped them stay in the contest," Zaheer further added.
Dean Elgar's resilient batting was a high point for the South African team. He hit 23 boundaries, showcasing his skill and determination, especially after navigating through a challenging phase against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj during the first hour of play. Elgar's leadership, stepping in for the injured Temba Bavuma, was instrumental in building a strong position for South Africa.
Zaheer observed that despite the pitch offering assistance to the pacers, the Indian bowling attack failed to exploit these conditions effectively. This critique highlights the need for more adaptable strategies in dynamic match situations.
"With how the pitch was behaving, it didn't look like South Africa batters would go past the score put up by the Indians. But that happened. The Indian bowling unit will sit down after the end of the day and talk about what went wrong," Zaheer concluded.
As the match progresses, South Africa, with a score of 256/5, will resume their innings with Elgar and Marco Jansen at the crease. Their current lead sets up an intriguing scenario for the next day of play, with both teams looking to assert their dominance in this Test match.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Dean Elgar’s unbeaten 140, debutant David Bedingham’s fifty helps South Africa take lead after KL Rahul’s record ton in Centurion
Disappointed Ravi Shastri points out Rohit Sharma's big captaincy 'big mistake' that let South Africa take the game away on Day 2
