'Very ordinary batting': Ravi Shastri slams Team India
What's the story
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has criticized the team's batting performance on Day 3 of their ongoing 2nd Test against South Africa in Guwahati. He described the team's display as "very ordinary" and said that they wouldn't be happy with their performance. His comments came after Shaun Pollock, a former South African pacer, also noted that some of the dismissals were "soft." India were down to 122/7 in response to SA's 489 in the first innings.
Pitch assessment
Shastri questions India's batting on good pitch
Shastri was unimpressed with the team's performance, especially considering the condition of the pitch. Being on air, he said, "This is still a good surface. This is not a pitch to be 142 for 7." His comments were echoed by Pollock, who observed that some dismissals were soft and could have been avoided if they had come off brilliant deliveries.
Batting critique
Pollock highlights 'soft dismissals' in India's batting
Pollock highlighted the soft dismissals in India's batting lineup, saying that they were "very soft." He specifically mentioned KL Rahul's dismissal as a case where he came forward at a Keshav Maharaj delivery and got caught at slips. Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal was also criticized by Pollock after he check-punched an edge to short third man.
Dismissal concerns
Sudharsan, Jurel, and Pant fall cheaply
Sai Sudharsan's dismissal to midwicket was also questioned. The No. 3 batter was dismissed by Simon Harmer in an attempt to pull. Dhruv Jurel's reckless pull shot off Marco Jansen was another that drew flak as he was caught on mid-on. Rishabh Pant's aggressive approach against Jansen also backfired as he edged one while charging down the wicket.
Further criticism
Jadeja's dismissal adds to batting woes
Ravindra Jadeja's attempt to pull a bouncer from Jansen ended with the ball popping off his shoulder onto the bat and into slips. This further added to the list of soft dismissals that have hurt India's batting performance in this Test match. Former India opener Abhinav Mukund also weighed in on the matter, saying there are definite question marks about Indian batsmen.
Struggle
Indian batters continue to struggle
As mentioned, India were down to 122/7 despite seeing a 65-run opening stand between Rahul and Jaiswal. India, who tumbled on a deteriorating Eden Gardens pitch, had an opportunity to shine in Guwahati, a venue with a balanced deck. India are coming off a humiliating defeat to South Africa in the Kolkata Test, wherein they failed to chase down 124.