Flawed approach takes India closer to another series defeat

With a match and series on line, Pant and Co chose to play down the wrong line and paid the price

- Somshuvra Laha

The myth is shattered. And India have still not lost yet. A second home series defeat in just over a year is on the horizon though, piainly because India have been playing a brand of cricket no one can relate to.

Nota brand really, more like a commotion of half-baked, atrociously executed ideas. One that prompts fiddling with pitches, packing elevens with allrounders to increase batting depth, changing batting orders in consecutive Tests, everything apart from what really matters—batting as if their lives depended on it.

Rishabh Pant gave the charge to Marco Jansen like he was finally ready to shift gears after biding his time. Fact is he had only batted seven balls. Sai Sudharsan faced 40 balls on his comeback innings at No 3, only to throw away the good start with a ridiculous shot.

‘And the horror of watching Dhruv Jurel fail at another pull shot wasa painful concession on the altar of India’s glorified strategy of backing outrageous shots even though they are completely unwarranted, especially when Jurel hadn't even opened his account.

All this, mind you, on a pitch where South Africa's lower order showed the spunk to reach 489 from 246/6. Nothing too fancy, nothing too outlandish, just simple, patient Test batting got them there. India, however, chose to take a detour that has hurt them dearly.