IND vs SA: 3 reasons why India lost the second ODI
Despite two centuries in the second ODI against South Africa, the Indian team suffered a one-sided 4-wicket defeat at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. The South African team easily chased down the target of 359 runs in just 49.2 overs, losing just 6 wickets, levelling the series at 1-1. Thanks to Virat Kohli's 84th international century and Ruturaj Gaikwad's maiden ODI century, India posted 358 runs on the scoreboard.
After the first innings, it once again seemed that the hosts would easily restrict the visitors before they could chase down the target and win the series, but the South African batting line-up had a different plan in this match. They easily chased down the target and did not repeat the mistakes made while chasing 350 runs in the first ODI played in Ranchi. However, during the match, the Indian team made mistakes that led to India's loss. In this article, we'll explore three reasons why India lost the second ODI.
1. Indian batters failed to convert a good start into a big score
When Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad were batting, it looked like India would easily reach in a mammoth cricket score of 380 or 390 runs. However, after Kohli and Gaikwad were out, India's lower-order batsmen failed to finish the innings well, and they managed just 358 after 50 overs. Washington Sundar scored just 1 run, facing 8 balls, while Ravindra Jadeja (24 runs off 27 balls) also played at a strike rate below 100 in the final overs. If 18 runs hadn't been scored in the last over of the innings, India wouldn't have crossed the 350-run mark.
Captain KL Rahul impressed again with 66 runs off 43 balls, but India missed opportunities to score an extra 20 or 30 runs due to a lack of finishing from the other side. After Virat Kohli's dismissal, the Indian batsmen managed only 74 runs in the next 65 balls.
2. India's Ordinary Bowling Performance
The Indian team's bowling performance in this series was quite ordinary. Defending 350 runs in the first ODI, India won by just 17 runs. Had the African batsmen not made some mistakes in that match, South Africa could have won the first ODI as well. However, in the second ODI, South Africa did not repeat the mistakes of the first match and achieved the target with remarkable efficiency. The South African batsmen did not give the Indian bowlers any chance during the chase. They won small phases and always ensured that the Indian bowlers were kept on the back foot. The Indian bowlers were extremely expensive in the second ODI.
The bowlers failed to bowl perfect yorkers in the death overs, and it seemed they lacked a plan in the final overs. Senior spinner Kuldeep Yadav conceded 78 runs in his 10 overs, taking just one wicket, while Prasidh Krishna conceded 85 runs in just 8.2 overs, taking one wicket. Harshit Rana conceded 70 runs in his 10 overs. Furthermore, the bowlers' lack of experience was clearly visible. Washington Sundar was also not used properly. The Indian pacers failed to create much pressure at the start of the chase, and when Kuldeep Yadav failed to lead India to a comeback, it became almost certain that South Africa would easily achieve their third-highest chase in ODI history.
South Africa batters Aiden Markram (110 off 98), Dewald Brewis (54 off 34), Matthew Breetzke (68 off 64), and Corbin Bosch (29* off 15) easily attacked the Indian bowlers and completely took the match away from India.
3. An off day for the Indian Fielders
The Indian team is usually known for its excellent fielding, but in this India vs South Africa series, this department looked very ordinary. Throughout the match, except for a few attempts, the fielders committed several misfields, gave away overthrows, made poor pick-ups, and consistently conceded boundaries. Yashasvi Jaiswal even dropped a routine catch from Markram when he was on 53.
South Africa consistently converted singles into doubles. Whenever India tried to apply pressure, fielding errors quickly relieved the pressure. These mistakes proved crucial against the South African team, which has so much batting depth.
