2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in the 1st Test vs South Africa

After drawing the T20I series and clinching the ODI series, Team India embarked on their toughest challenge yet as they locked horns with South Africa in the first Test of the two-match series.

However, things went horribly wrong for the visitors in Centurion. Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah were the only players to make an impression as the Proteas hammered them by an innings and 32 runs to hand them their first defeat of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.

From a tactical standpoint, India were well off the mark in the opening Test. They seemed underprepared for South African conditions, and their decision-making on the field left a lot to be desired. At the same time, a piece of genius stood out amid the rubble.

Here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by Team India in the first Test against South Africa.

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#3 Mistake - Ravichandran Ashwin wasn't used effectively with the ball

Ravichandran Ashwin dives: South Africa v India - 1st Test

Due to an injury to Ravindra Jadeja, India picked Ravichandran Ashwin in their XI for an overseas Test. The off-spinner bowled well without much reward and was arguably their second-best bowler in the game after Jasprit Bumrah.

However, Rohit Sharma was reluctant to toss the ball to Ashwin when it was imperative for him to do so. He gave the veteran just one over before Lunch on Day 2 and didn't bring him back even when the supporting fast bowlers were leaking runs.

Ashwin created multiple wicket-taking opportunities in the South African innings, which isn't something that can be said about the others. He bowled just 19 overs, the joint-fewest in the innings, and had the team's best economy rate.

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#2 Masterstroke - KL Rahul showed how to bat with the tail

KL Rahul's defiant century took India to a decent first-innings total.

If there's one thing India have struggled with over the last year or two, it's their lower-order's strategies while batting with the tail. Jadeja, in particular, has made some curious decisions while running out of partners at the other end.

Anyone who wants to learn how to bat with the tail can take a leaf out of the book of KL Rahul, who was in his mid-30s when Bumrah came to the crease. From then on, the keeper-batter farmed the strike with intelligence, running quick singles and doubles in the process.

Rahul's efforts, which included a smartly run bye to reach his century, took India from 164/7 to 245/9. He was the last man dismissed, but not before he had played one of the best knocks of his Test career so far.

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#1 Mistake - Rohit Sharma got it wrong in the post-Lunch session on Day 2

Rohit Sharma didn't bowl his strike bowlers when he needed to.

At Lunch on Day 2, South Africa were 49/1. Dean Elgar was batting on 29, with Tony de Zorzi on 12. The left-handed duo had weathered penetrative opening spells from Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to capitalize on any freebies offered by Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur.

However, after the Lunch interval, Rohit continued with Prasidh and Thakur instead of bringing back his premier pacers, who would've been well rested. Elgar and De Zorzi helped the Proteas cruise past the 100-run mark, and by the time Bumrah was brought back to produce a two-wicket burst, the initiative had been squandered.

It was a costly mistake from Rohit and the team management, who needed to wrest control of the burgeoning partnership immediately after the break. Even if they had bowled Ashwin, who displayed control throughout, they would've been better off.