January 22, 2026

India's Batters Cave-In, Hand Advantage To South Africa

By Slogger
First publised on 2022-01-12 03:14:14

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Holding an extreme view and carting the ball out of the park is what interests him most. He is a hard hitter at all times. Fasten your seatbelts and read.

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The familiar tale of batting failure came to haunt India as Virat Kolhi opted to bat first after winning the toss in the final Test versus South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town. India were all out for 223, a score that would have been even more miserable if skipper Kohli has not put his head down and batted most dourly for 79 hard-earned runs that saw him engage in a fascinating battle with Kagiso Rabada and other South African bowlers.

The South African bowlers bowled a tight line and length and troubled all Indian batters. But lack of application was the undoing of most of them. Pace and swing are the stock-in-trade of Test class pace bowlers and batters must be capable enough to tackle them. But barring Kohli, and to an extent Pujara, all other batters displayed tentativeness in handling the bowlers.

Kohli, returning after missing the second Test due to back spasms, was a picture of determination as he held up one end and negotiated the bowling as per merit. He played and missed, but he was not perturbed. In between, he punished the occasional loose balls with characteristic disdain and flourish. This was a master class in how to bat on a difficult pitch when the conditions favoured the bowlers. This was Kohli's second slowest fifty in Tests and it served India well.

Although India bounced back by getting Dean Elgar when South Africa batted, the day belonged to the South Africans. The Indian total is very small and if South Africa manage to take even a 50 run lead, it will become very difficult for India. India will have to get their batting act together in the second innings if they want to create history by winning the Test and their first Test series in South Africa.