South African fast bowling star Allan Donald believes that the home team used the conditions better than the visiting team India in the first test in Centurion to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The Proteas fast-bowling unit ripped through the Indian batting order, with players struggling to adapt to the unfamiliar conditions.
With the exception of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, India’s top batsmen failed to put the South African bowlers under pressure, but the hosts were able to blast the visitors’ pacers around the park in the 1st innings to score 408 runs in response to India’s first innings score of 245 on a wicket that aided the pacers.
Speaking to PTI, Legendary South African pacer Allan Donald believes that the South African side has benefited from the improved conditions, they were also rewarded for being far more patient than India and stated that Indian bowlers looked to try too many things on the pitch that favored the bowlers, resulting in too many runs being given away.
“I know South Africa probably got the better of the conditions, no questions about that. They pitched the ball in a 5 and 5.5-meter area and gave it a chance to do something off the deck, But what they did better than India they were more patient in that area and even they used the short ball a little bit more in the second innings.”
“For India, there was one debutant (Prasidh Krishna). I thought (Jasprit) Bumrah, but Indian bowlers searched too much for things to happen. They quickly reverted to shorter balls and then lost their length a bit on the shorter side and then got opened up on either side – square leg, off side and SA batters capitalized,” Allan Donald said.
India was unable to put pressure on South African batters after Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were withdrawn from the attack. After a disappointing loss by an innings and 32 runs in Centurion. Inexperienced Indian pacers Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur struggled with his line and length and could not execute this strategy effectively.
That’s Traditional As Someone Who Knows It Will Be Tougher Tests – Allan Donald
Allan Donald believes that both teams would need to be more imaginative in the second test and that the game will be more difficult for India and South Africa. According to the former pacer, if India hopes to regain parity, they must use the new ball wisely.
“You need to be more creative in Cape Town as wickets are a lot more flatter and partnerships will stretch and that’s traditionally as someone who knows it will be tougher Tests.”
“The massive emphasis is on the new ball because traditionally if there’s a South westerly wind blowing across Newlands, then you know that is going to dry the pitch up. But not in any way or form I think the pitch will turn,” Allan Donald added.
South Africa is the only country in which India has yet to win a Test series in the longest format. Rohit Sharma’s team will almost certainly want to prevent a run of defeats and tie in South Africa for the first time since 2011/12.
