JOHANNESBURG: India’s batsmen will have to take advantage of the opportunity and aim for a long partnership to win the series in South Africa even after recovering from their Test defeat on Thursday. Rahul Dravid,
India suffered a seven-wicket loss in the second Test at the Wanderers on Thursday, setting up a thrilling finale with the series level at 1-1 in Cape Town next week.
If India are to win, and win the series for the first time in South Africa in the process, they will need some quickening at the top of the batting order, Dravid told a virtual news conference after the match on Thursday.
“The wicket has been a bit challenging in the first two Tests, I will give to the batsmen. But we pride ourselves on doing better and the batting unit can definitely seize some crucial moments and that’s when we get their partnership.” , maybe make them a little longer,” he said.
“There was a tendency to kick the ball a bit in the first innings, but we could have probably made 60-70 more.”
India were bowled out for 202 in their first innings, to which the hosts responded with 229 runs. India scored 266 runs on a deteriorating pitch in their second innings and set a target of 240 runs to South Africa, which they achieved with seven wickets remaining. A determined batting performance.
“Obviously we would like to bat a little bit better. We need to keep improving and getting better. Maybe some of the players who started, could have converted them into centuries,” Dravid said.
“I think that was the difference in the first Test where KL Rahul scored a century for us and we went on to win.
“In the second Test, they had someone (Dean Elgar) who finished on 96 and they ended up winning.
“It really shows you the importance of one of your batsmen scoring big scores, on wickets like these,” the coach said.
India suffered a seven-wicket loss in the second Test at the Wanderers on Thursday, setting up a thrilling finale with the series level at 1-1 in Cape Town next week.
If India are to win, and win the series for the first time in South Africa in the process, they will need some quickening at the top of the batting order, Dravid told a virtual news conference after the match on Thursday.
“The wicket has been a bit challenging in the first two Tests, I will give to the batsmen. But we pride ourselves on doing better and the batting unit can definitely seize some crucial moments and that’s when we get their partnership.” , maybe make them a little longer,” he said.
“There was a tendency to kick the ball a bit in the first innings, but we could have probably made 60-70 more.”
India were bowled out for 202 in their first innings, to which the hosts responded with 229 runs. India scored 266 runs on a deteriorating pitch in their second innings and set a target of 240 runs to South Africa, which they achieved with seven wickets remaining. A determined batting performance.
“Obviously we would like to bat a little bit better. We need to keep improving and getting better. Maybe some of the players who started, could have converted them into centuries,” Dravid said.
“I think that was the difference in the first Test where KL Rahul scored a century for us and we went on to win.
“In the second Test, they had someone (Dean Elgar) who finished on 96 and they ended up winning.
“It really shows you the importance of one of your batsmen scoring big scores, on wickets like these,” the coach said.
,