IND vs SA: "Play a little more positively on such pitches…"- Cheteshwar Pujara gives crucial advice to India after batting blunder in Kolkata test

Cheteshwar Pujara said that Indian batters failed to put pressure on South Africa bowlers in the first IND vs SA test.

South Africa Cricket Team outplayed Indian Cricket Team by 30 runs in first of the two-match test series on Sunday, November 16, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The encounter witnessed India failing to chase down a 124-run target, with their batters losing wickets like a house of cards. After the match, former Indian test specialist batter Cheteshwar Pujara urged Indian batters to play positively on such tricky pitches and be prepared to perform on similar surfaces in future.

Shubman Gill & Co. suffered one of their worst batting collapses in the clash, getting bowled out for just 93 runs in the second innings while chasing a target of 124 runs. Moreover, no Indian batsman could score a half-century in the entire match. The uneven bounce and sharp turn at the Eden Gardens pitch exposed India’s technical failures while batting.

South Africa, who registered their first test victory in India in 15 years, made a brilliant comeback in the second innings to snatch a victory in the low-scoring thriller. Spinner Simon Harmer led the team’s bowling attack with a total of eight wickets, picking four-wicket hauls in both innings. Keshav Maharaj and Marco Jansen also made notable contributions, taking two wickets each in the second innings.

You need to put the bowlers under pressure: Cheteshwar Pujara

Pujara, who is one of the commentators in the India vs South Africa test series, said that Indian batters need to buckle up to perform better on such pitches. He also advised that they need to use their feet while batting and play more positively on such pitches.

“I believe that, firstly, we don’t know whether the team management actually wanted such a pitch. But whatever the surface is, you need to perform on it and you need to be very well-prepared. I would say we should have bowled slightly better and, at the same time, batted better. Unfortunately, we were short of one batter. Shubman Gill got injured in the first innings and wasn’t available in the second innings as well. That was a big loss for the Indian team,” he said.

“But the Indian batters will have to find a way to score runs on such pitches. If the Indian team ends up playing more matches on surfaces like this, then where do the scoring opportunities come from? That is something that needs to be discussed in the team meeting,” he added.

The 37-year-old feels that batting coach Sitanshu Kotak need to have a chat with Indian batters over their tactics.

“The batting coach will also have to speak to the batters. They need to use their feet, play the sweep shot, and play a little more positively on such pitches. You need to put the bowler under pressure, and that is something the Indian batters failed to do in this particular Test match,” he further stated.

Meanwhile, Temba Bavuma & Co. have earned a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The next game will begin on November 22 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, which will witness a test match for the first time.

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