India's meek three-day surrender

Visitors lose by an innings and 32 runs despite Kohli's 76 as South Africa take 1-0 lead at Centurion

- Somshuvra Laha

Wins and defeats are part of the game. Only this wasn't a pasting handed by a superior South African side. The batting has lost considerable lustre, take away Kagiso Rabada and the fast bowling isn't that awe-inspiring, and they are also dropping catches now. The real tragedy at Centurion wasn't the innings and 32-run defeat itself but the supine nature of India's three-day surrender that keeps South Africa's unbeaten home bilateral record intact.

While there is no place quite like South Africa that can expose technical and mental failings, more was expected from India's batting than just two innings of note - KL Rahul's hundred and Virat Kohli's engaging 76 on Thursday. Being dismissed for 131 in just over a session, on the same day Dean Elgar ended up outsourcing India, is a punch in the guts for those who believed India's batting has finally come of age. "Batting was poor in the second innings. Virat batted brilliantly but if you have to win, you have to come together collectively. We failed to do that," said India captain Rohit Sharma.