India vs South Africa 2021-22, Cape Town Test: Kohli and Pujara headline Day 1, check out the talking points
By Ayush Gupta | First Published Jan 12, 2022, 5:00 AM ISTIndia has shown some fighting spirit against South Africa in the Cape Town Test. On Day 1, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara were the headliners. Here are the talking points.
It has been a lacklustre intent shown by the Indians in the final Test of the Freedom Series 2021-22 at the Newland Stadium in Cape Town. On Day 1, India was bowled out for just 223, but the fighting spirit shown by Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara was laudable. In the same light, we analyse the talking points from Tuesday.
Kohli getting into the groove
Over a couple of years, Kohli has not scored an international century. However, it all seemed to be changing, starting this Test. He played a determined knock of 79, while it happened to be his 28th Test half-century. While he looked on course for his 28th Test ton, running out of partners in the other end might have let the pressure creep into him, thus missing out on the century. Nonetheless, things look promising for the Indian skipper.
Latest Videos
Pujara needs to possess more intensity
Pujara played a fair knock of 43. As evident from the previous Test, he somewhat relied on an aggressive approach. However, he is not being able to balance the composure and aggression, which could possibly be leading to his downfall. However, given the intent he has shown in the past couple of Tests, it seems that he is on course for big innings.
Indian openers surprisingly struggling
The opening Test saw KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal get a monumental start. However, the same has lacked since the last Test. On Tuesday, they were dismissed for 12 and 15, respectively, as they seem to be struggling with the new ball. Also, the two need to play more into their body, rather than defending it outside, as the latter has more chances of getting the edge.
South African pacers just know how to get the job done
The Indians continued to have a hard time against the Protea pacers. Kagiso Rabada was the king of all, claiming a four-for, which also included the prized wicket of Kohli. As the Indians continued to struggle on the bouncy tracks of South Africa, the pacers came out with a proper plan and executed it perfectly by exploiting the visitors' weakness. Truly applaudable!
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here. For more reliable and latest news
subscribe to Asianet Newsable Telegram channel by clicking here.