Former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar expresses views on India's struggle in first test against SA

Throughout the second inning, Virat Kohli was the only batter who knew how to churn out runs on a surface, which proved too much for the rest of the batters

Former star Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar pin-pointed the void in the shot selection of the Indian batsmen that led to their massive win against the Proteas in South Africa in the first Test match.

On day three, Virat Kohli was the only batsman who was able to read the pitch and score runs. The Centurion pitch proved to be too much for the rest of the batsmen.

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Tendulkar took X to congratulate the hosts for their win by an innings and 32 runs over India. He also praised their pace bowling attack, which exceeded expectations and showcased tremendous skill in the second innings.

Well played South Africa!

While I initially felt the South African team would’ve been unhappy after the 1st innings, their pace attack surpassed expectations and showcased remarkable skill in the 2nd innings, in spite of the pitch becoming more favourable for batting as the…

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 28, 2023

"While I initially felt the South African team would've been unhappy after the 1st innings, their pace attack surpassed expectations and showcased remarkable skill in the 2nd innings, in spite of the pitch becoming more favourable for batting as the match progressed. From whatever I watched, India's shot selection left much to be desired. Throughout the Test, only a few batters, namely Elgar, Jansen, Bedingham, @imVkohli and @klrahul truly seemed at ease with the bat, navigating the conditions with technique and poise," Sachin wrote on X.

Nandre Burger with his bouncers and precise line and length made Indian batsmen struggle for runs.

A game that seemed to be headed for the fourth day was concluded on the third day itself. South Africa's pace trio Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Nandre Burger dominated India's batting line-up with their fierce pace.

Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul lost their wickets early on day three.

After Burger removed Ravichandran Ashwin for a golden duck, India's fate was more or less sealed.

Jasprit Bumrah's runout following a brilliant effort in the field by Dean Elgar caused a mood of dismay. A brilliant review from the South Africa team saw Mohammed Siraj gloving the ball straight to the wicketkeeper.

Prasidh Krishna struggled hard but Jansen got the better of Kohli (76) which brought an end to India's struggle within the first three days.

(With ANI Inputs)

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