South Africa vs India 2018: 5 areas of concern for India ahead of 2nd Test

Seamers failing to sustain pressure

A steady feature of India's overseas plight has been the inability of the bowling attack to sustain pressure on the batsmen, even after getting the initial breakthroughs. While the side managed to bundle South Africa out for 130 in the second innings, the main reason why the visitors found themselves in the muddle that they did was primarily that they managed to let South Africa get to 286 after having them on the mat at 12-3.

AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis were gifted looseners: while the latter was in his typical stonewalling mood, de Villiers, in the midst of a long-awaited Test return, got the necessary deliveries to find his form back and play his strokes. Once he was in his element, he stamped his authority in such a way that the lead swelled enough to be the vital difference between the two sides at the end.