South Africa thrashed Team India in the first Test match at SuperSport Park in Centurion, losing by a huge margin of an innings and 32 runs. With just 245 and 131 in the first two innings, respectively, the Rohit Sharma-led team was thoroughly outclassed in all three categories. South Africa amassed a mammoth 408 in the first inning thanks to a magnificent century by Dean Elgar, but pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah could not provide any support with the ball.
After India’s crushing loss, former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh raised concerns over the team management’s decision to leave Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara off the Test squad. Interestingly, Rahane was vice captain of India’s last Test series against the West Indies in July, while Pujara last appeared for the team in the World Test Championship Final in 2023.
“You excluded Cheteshwar Pujara without cause and did not choose Ajinkya Rahane.”
The two players who have scored runs everywhere are these ones. Pujara contributed just as much as Kohli did, if you look at the prior record. We still lack a better batsman in Test cricket than Pujara, so I have no idea why he was left out. India won Test matches in Australia and England as a result of Harbhajan Singh, who posted on his YouTube channel, “He plays slowly, but he saves you.”
Among his notable accomplishments throughout his 10 Test matches in South Africa were 535 runs at an average of 28.15 and a century and three fifties. But in the six Tests that have been played in South Africa, Rahane has amassed 402 runs at an average of 36.54, including three half-centuries.
Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer did not lead India in scoring.
After dropping the more seasoned batting talents, India brought in new players Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, however, neither player was able to contribute much in either of the two innings. Iyer scored 31 and 6, while Gill scored 2 and 26 in the first two innings.
After losing the first Test, India will be hoping to even the score in the two-match series by winning the second Test in Newlands, Cape Town.
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