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Team India have a slight advantage after a frenzied opening day in the second Test against South Africa in Newlands, Cape Town. The Men in Blue put in a spirited bowling performance to bundle out the Proteas for a mere 55 runs in the first session before suffering a collapse of the highest proportion to bring the hosts back into batting in the final session.
Mukesh Kumar struck twice, while Jasprit Bumrah claimed a crucial wicket in the closing stages of the day to leave South Africa at 62-3. As things stand, the Proteas still trail by 36 runs, and if conditions remain the same, the second day could well be the final day of the tour itself.
India's character cannot be questioned following the demoralizing innings defeat in Centurion to conclude 2023. The Men in Blue were at their best in terms of skill as well as body language, with the humiliating collapse being the one drawback that could return to haunt them.
With South Africa's best batter Dean Elgar back in the hut, that too forever, India will hope to run through the remainder of the batters and walk away with a crucial away win in their World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
On that note, let us take a look at three things India needs to do to dominate Day 2 of the second SA vs IND 2024 Test.
#1 Continue with an attacking and relentless approach
Team India had let the foot off the pedal after the initial breakthrough in the first Test, but they did not make the same mistake in the second contest. Rohit Sharma's task of setting the fields was made easier as the new ball bowlers matched the aggression to not give the Proteas batters any breathing space.
The bowlers were relentless with their areas while the pitch took care of the rest. Mohammed Siraj, in particular, was rewarded with the length to which he stuck, as the in-air movement, the deviation off the surface, and the variable bounce made it almost impossible for the batters to survive for long spells.
The visitors should look to stick with the same approach on the second day as well. The bowlers looked a tad tired when they came out to bowl the second time around, and they cannot be blamed for that, as they put in a high-intensity effort in the first innings.
Irrespective of whether the conditions improve for batting or not, India should continue with the attack, considering that there is not much batting to follow for South Africa once the overnight pair of Aiden Markram and David Bedingham depart.
#2 Not rely entirely on Siraj and Bumrah
There is no doubt that the responsibility of claiming wickets and putting pressure on the opposition lies largely on the shoulders of Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah. However, with India playing four specialist seamers, the secondary bowling pair of Mukesh Kumar and Prasidh Krishna can also contribute greatly.
Mukesh has already taken four wickets in the match and is enjoying the conditions on offer.
The bulk of the Indian batters fell victim to extra bounce off the surface, and if there is a candidate that can exploit that, it is Krishna who could do something similar. As a result, he will also have a crucial role to play in the proceedings in the second innings.
The variable bounce is expected to make a prominent appearance on the second day, and the tall pacer could potentially make up for his bleak Test debut with a probing spell in the second innings.
#3 Blend caution with aggression when it comes to batting
Should everything go to plan for India with the ball, they should be out with the bat again to chase down the target. There is no certainty as to what total could be chased and what is defendable, so the visitors will have to pick an approach and stick with it.
The three Indian batters who did manage to get off the mark, and hit double figures, had an average strike rate of 73.6. Furthermore, Aiden Markram, who is still unbeaten at the crease, has a strike rate of 70.59.
It is hard to play a long innings on this surface, so it is better to make the most of the time at the crease. Balancing caution with aggression seems to be the way forward, something that Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli showcased in the first innings.
The other batters need to follow suit in a bid to avoid yet another embarrassing collapse in the final innings.
Will Team India secure a win in the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town? Let us know what you think.
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