Indian batters succumb to indiscretion on quicker pitch

It was cricket in fast forward in the morning session on Tuesday, and the Indian batters were at the receiving end.

- Partha Bhaduri

Just like that, with a wave of Lung Ngidi’s bowling arm, the tale went topsy-turvy. A horror morning ensured that seven Indian wickets fell for 49 runs as the team went from 278/3 to 327 all out, the side’s sixth-worst collapse for the last seven wickets against South Africa, and second-worst away from home.

Not for the first time, quite a couple of the dismissals were avoidable, in spite of the early sting in the pitch. Rabada and Ngidi, having shed the rust and with overs under their belt, made the batsmen play more in conditions helpful for the bowlers. The shot selection from the Indians, however, wasn’t top-notch.