India’s Main Reason Behind South Africa and Losses in New Zealand, Australia and England is THIS

Test cricket is often said to be a great leveler. One moment, a team is up. The next moment, they are down. The year 2021 was a golden chapter in India’s cricket, as described by so many players and people. They had beaten Australia, which included breaching their fortress of the Gabba after 31 years. India is on the cusp of ending 14 years of pain in England, with the final Test to be played in 2022. They ended the year by shattering South Africa’s fortress of Centurion. 29 years of pain were about to be eliminated.

The stars were in their favor too. South Africa lost Quinton de Kock after the Centurion debacle. There were no major stars in the Proteas camp who could defy India. At the other end of the spectrum, India’s batsmen showed application with KL Rahul going on to get a big century. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, and Mohammed Siraj were doing to South Africa what the Proteas would do to their opponents in their backyard. They were heading into Johannesburg, a venue where India had never lost. 29 years of pain was just five days away.

Instead, in eight days in 2022, the joy of Centurion turned into despair for India. They lost the Johannesburg Test by seven wickets. Inexplicably, they lost even Cape Town by a similar margin. This, despite India having better bowling and batting composition. Despite Jasprit Bumrah’s fifer, Rishabh Pant’s fifty, and Virat Kohli’s gritty 79, they still lost.

Collapses and a 30-45 minute period of bad cricket haunts Indian cricket

India may have won consistently in overseas conditions in the last four years. It was after all in South Africa that their blueprint for global domination was laid. On a Johannesburg pitch that was treacherous, India carved out their most memorable win. That set the tone for their win in Australia. England followed suit, with New Zealand defiantly keeping India at bay at home and in the ICC World Test Championships.

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What is the common factor in all of India’s losses in the SENA countries over the last four years? It has been patches of batting collapses. India’s batsmen have tended to collapse in a heap and the opposition has made them pay. Kohli was right about the batting in the post-match presentation. But, from 2017/18 all the way to 2021/22, India’s batting collapses have gifted opponents wins.

Collapses in SENA Countries Consistent for Indian team

If one has to look at the 2017/18 series in South Africa, then India lost Cape Town and Centurion because of batting collapses. In Cape Town, in pursuit of 286, India was reduced to 92/7. On any given day, barring a miracle, that collapse will always hurt. Although India’s bowlers got the team back on track by bowling South Africa out for 130, India lost four wickets for 11 runs in the second to ensure they lost in their chase of 198. In Centurion, they were on par for three innings. But, when they lost seven for 87 in the second innings, it was game over.

The trend of collapses continued in England in 2018. In Edgbaston, chasing 184, India lost five wickets for 78 and four wickets for 21 runs to lose by 31 runs. During the Test in Southampton, while chasing 245, India was bowled out for 184, with their last seven wickets falling for 61 runs. In Australia, the two Tests that they lost in Perth and Adelaide in 2018 and 2020 were all collapses.

If one took out Kohli’s 123 in the first innings, then India’s batting managed just 160 runs amongst themselves. In the second innings, India did themselves no favors by losing half their side before the 100-run mark as they lost by 137 runs. In Adelaide 2020, India was bundled out for 36 in the Pink Ball Test.

Batting the major let-down

The trend has been established. Whenever India’s batting collapses, they lose in overseas conditions. When they click, they are deadly. These batting collapses hurt India immensely in the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand and in Leeds against England.

In the first innings, India lost five wickets for 35 runs with the tailenders not contributing. On the final day, India lost eight wickets for 99 runs to gift New Zealand the ICC World Test Championship on a platter. This despite three days being washed out due to rain. In fact, New Zealand had exposed India’s tendency to collapse on a much-earlier tour in 2020. India lost seven wickets for 77 and 78 runs in two innings to lose by 10 wickets in Wellington.

In the final Test in Christchurch, they once again lost seven wickets for 48 runs in the first innings. Their fate was sealed when they yet again lost seven wickets for 52 runs in the second innings to be whitewashed. During the Leeds Test against England, India was bowled out for 78 which put them on the backfoot. The fight ended when they lost eight wickets for 63 runs in the second innings. Here is the list of India’s batting collapses in the last four years.

India’s batting must improve consistently

India’s wait for a Test series win in South Africa has now been prolonged by another four years. The fact that they have not even won a Test match in New Zealand for over a decade dents their overseas credentials slightly. Yes, victories over Australia and England are a massive boost. But, this loss will hurt primarily because India was the favorite.

Kohli and the Indian cricket team will be hurting with this loss. They have not managed to overcome the Final Frontier. Regrettably, it remains to be seen whether Kohli comes back four years later to finish the chapter of Mission World Domination.