Guwahati, India – In the wake of a stunning collapse during the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, the Indian team has broken its silence regarding the costly errors made by Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel. What began as a promising start quickly unraveled, leaving India facing a potential series whitewash on home soil.
The collapse, which saw India slump from 95 for 1 to 122 for 7, has sparked outrage among fans and cricket analysts alike. The dismissals of Pant and Jurel, in particular, have come under intense scrutiny.
Rishabh Pant, leading the team in the absence of Shubman Gill, was criticized for his "irresponsible" shot selection. Coming in at No. 7, Pant attempted to counterattack Marco Jansen, but only managed to edge a short ball to the keeper. His dismissal for 7 off 7 balls was labeled a "brain fade" moment. Former cricketers like Anil Kumble and Dale Steyn have weighed in, with Kumble stating that Pant needs to understand the game situation better, and Steyn describing the shot as a "brain fade".
Dhruv Jurel, playing in place of the injured Gill, also faced criticism for his "indiscreet" shot. Jurel attempted a pull shot off a Jansen bouncer, but mistimed it, offering a simple catch to Maharaj at wide mid-on. Jurel's dismissal for a duck drew visible frustration from the Indian dressing room and was described as a "needless pull shot".
Teammate Washington Sundar defended Pant and Jurel, attributing their dismissals to execution failure rather than flawed strategy. Sundar, who top-scored for India with 48, stated that "On another day, the bowlers would have gone into the stands, and all of us would have appreciated and clapped". He emphasized the importance of backing players' skill sets, even when execution falls short.
Marco Jansen's impressive performance with the ball was a key factor in India's collapse. The tall South African pacer exploited the extra bounce of the Guwahati pitch, using a relentless short-ball strategy to claim 6 wickets for 48 runs. Jansen revealed that the bouncer barrage wasn't pre-planned but was adopted after he found success with it.
The Indian batting lineup as a whole struggled to cope with Jansen's strategy and made poor shot selections. KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, and Ravindra Jadeja were among the other batsmen who fell cheaply.
With South Africa holding a significant lead, India faces an uphill battle to avoid a series defeat. The team will need to address their batting woes and demonstrate better game awareness if they hope to mount a comeback. The focus now shifts to whether the batsmen can learn from their mistakes.
