Team India won a remarkable Test on a pitch that played devilish tricks on batsmen’s mind and body. The series may have been over as India lost the first two Tests to South Africa before the third Test in Johannesburg. The world’s top-ranked side, feeling hounded after two insipid batting performances, showed grit and guts as a team in very difficult situations. While one performance is no guarantee things may have turned around for good in away series, the triumph holds the promise that the team is ready to dig in and fight their way in tough situations. This may also have showed up deficiencies in preparing for the series in South African conditions.
The greatest facet was India finding a pace attack potent enough to go into a Test for the first time in 86 years with four fast bowlers, plus a fifth in all-rounder Hardik Pandya. India’s pacers injected so much fear in opposing batsmen that there was even a suggestion that the Test be called off as the treacherous pitch may be injurious to batsmen’s health. If the roles were reversed, India may have been chastised for pusillanimity before aggressive fast bowling. To Dean Elgar’s credit, the South African opener carried his bat after being brutalised by Indian pacers, although he too did suggest that the Test be discontinued. Never in their history would Team India have had a pace battery capable of shaking up the opposition. Going forward, progress can be made only if the captain accepts he can be at fault in selection matters, and his batsmen back him up with courageous performances.
