Skipper Rohit Sharma asserted that premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah didn’t get much support from the other bowlers in the first Test as South Africa posted 408 in the first innings and India lost the match by an innings and 32 runs.
The Indian bowling attack looked listless in the first hour of Day 3 and leaked too many runs, especially the third and fourth bowling options – Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna. The Proteas took a 163-run lead after first innings which turned out to be too much for India.
India lost the opening Test inside three days as they were bundled out for 131 in the second innings to suffer a crushing loss.
Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while Mohammed Siraj also bowled well but managed to take just one scalp.
“This was not a 400-run wicket and we gave too many runs. We sprayed the ball all around, but it happens. One can’t depend on one particular bowler (Bumrah), the other three pacers also needed to perform their roles, we could learn from how South Africa bowled,” Rohit said after the match.
He admitted that although there wasn’t lack of effort but Bumrah couldn’t alone keep the pressure on Proteas batters.
Despite a lack of support for Bumrah, Rohit backed the other bowlers and they tried hard but it just didn’t work out for them.
“Bumrah bowled well and we all know his quality. All he wanted was a bit of support which he didn’t get. That happens. All three tried hard, bending their backs but didn’t happen the way we wanted to. But games like these teaches you a lot as to what you want to do as a bowling unit,” the skipper observed.
Young Prasidh, who has just had 12 first-class matches under his belt, couldn’t get the measure of bounce and carry at Supersport Park and went for 93 runs in 20 overs on Test debut.
The skipper conceded Prasidh is a bit under-cooked but also insisted that his team would show faith in him.
“Of course, he is a little bit inexperienced. He has got the tools to come out here and play the game. Obviously, if I look at the bowlers that we have back in India, some of them are injured, some not available, so we tried picking guys who are available, based on conditions,” he reasoned.
“I completely agree that he (Krishna) hasn’t played a lot of (red ball) cricket but there are three guys in their team also, who haven’t played a lot of (red ball cricket) but they showed what is required.
“More than what’s there in the legs, I think it’s in the mind. How you treat your mind and how you play the game is more important. If you think that oh, I haven’t played, lot of Tests or FC cricket, then it’s not going to help,” the skipper was clear,” he added.
Rohit further backed Krishna said everybody gets a bit nervous in their first game but said he has a great attitude towards his game.
“When you get an opportunity, you should be grateful and come out and do the job for the team. Obviously, it didn’t work out well for him and playing your first game, we all would have been nervous, he would have been nervous as well.
“These things happen, the guy has game to excel but we will back him and has a great attitude about his game which holds us in good stead going forward,” he added.
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