South Africa vs India 2018, 1st Test: What went wrong for the visitors

#2 Failure to capitalize on key moments throughout the game

AB de Villiers batted beautifully in both innings.

Never throughout the game, India felt that they were completely out of the game. They were always in with a chance.

South African batting coach Dale Benkenstein after the first day revealed that he almost took an Uber and headed towards the team hotel after his team slipped to 12/3 inside the first half hour on the first day. That’s how bad South Africa’s position was and Bhuvneshwar Kumar with those three wickets had given India a dream start.

However, India failed to build on to the excellent start as AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis steadied the ship and counter-attacked to bring the hosts back in the game. But after lunch, India came back strongly to remove both the batsmen and the hosts were sitting at 142/5. Once again the pressure was let off as Quinton de Kock and Vernon Philander stitched a quick-fire 60-run stand before the lower-order frustrated India and took the first innings score to 286.

India were then reduced to 92/7 before Hardik Pandya resurrected the innings. But India, decently placed at 191/7, lost their last three wickets for just 18 runs (in contrast to South Africa’s last three who scored 65 for their last 3 wickets) to fold up for 209 conceding a 77-run lead.

India’s bowlers got them back with a wonderful display in the second innings as they skittled the Proteas out for 130 and they needed 208 to win the Test. They also started well as they reached 30/0 before they lost quick wickets and slipped to 39/3. But Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma calmed the nerves with a solid partnership (and took the team to 71/3).

Virat Kohli, in particular, was looking in very good touch. But his wicket triggered a collapse as India slipped to 82/7 and were eventually bowled out for 135.