Online Desk
India’s 4-wicket defeat to South Africa in the second ODI will be remembered less for the centuries by Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad, and more for the brainless, pedestrian bowling effort that threw the game away. In a match India should have defended comfortably, the so-called Indian speedsters Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna looked completely out of depth, while the fielding — especially from Yashasvi Jaiswal — only added insult to injury. South Africa didn’t have to do anything extraordinary; India’s bowlers simply made their job easier.
After Indian skipper KL Rahul’s clinical half-century and India’s strong total, the visitors walked out with confidence. Yet the confidence dissolved quickly as Harshit and Prasidh sprayed the new ball without any plan, discipline, or intelligence. On a surface that demanded tight lines and back-of-length variations, India’s pacers bowled as if they were in a hurry to feed South Africa boundaries. There was no attempt to pitch the ball in testing areas. No use of the short ball as a setup delivery. No cutters, no slower bouncers — just flat, one-dimensional bowling that even club cricketers would read.
To say the least, their approach looked pedestrian.
The lack of accountability only made the situation worse. KL Rahul may have scored a fine half-century, but he was far too lenient on his bowlers. Not once did he appear to pull them up or demand sharper execution. A captain’s job does not end with scoring runs; it begins with driving discipline. On that front, Rahul fell short.
India’s fielding further exposed the team’s lack of intensity. Yashasvi Jaiswal, already under the scanner for his drop in form, had an unforgettable day. Misfields, fumbles, and poor anticipation allowed the South African opener Markam to steal runs and score a century after dropping a sitter on the boundary; they had no business getting. In tight chases, these moments become decisive, and India paid the price.
Even India’s usually reliable spin duo looked out of rhythm. Kuldeep Yadav lacked bite, rarely landing the ball on the right lengths to create doubt in the batsmen’s minds. Jadeja, too, looked off-colour, unusually flat and predictable. When both pacers and spinners falter together, a collapse is inevitable — and South Africa cashed in with calm, calculated batting to level the series without breaking much sweat.
The only bowler who looked remotely sensible was Arshdeep Singh, who at least attempted to think, adapt, and bowl to a plan. His discipline stood out in stark contrast to the chaos around him.
Washington Sundar, yet again, offered little to justify his repeated selection. Despite being inexplicably overpraised by several cricket analysts, his returns remain ordinary. India must stop carrying passengers. Going into the final ODI on December 6, Sundar should make way for anyone sitting on the bench, who brings both freshness and intent. Harshit Rana, too, needs to sit out, replaced ideally by a better-prepared and more reliable option like Nitish Reddy.
India now enters the decider not just level on the scoreboard, but exposed in their mindset. Unless the bowlers start using their brains — pitching the ball in the right areas, varying their pace and field placements, and showing basic discipline — the series could slip away. Centuries by Kohli, Gaikwad, and a half-century by Rahul cannot mask the deeper issue: India were let down by their bowlers, and unless that changes quickly, the story may repeat on December 6.
