The Indian batting order collapsed in the first Test while chasing 124 runs. The side was bundled out for 93 runs. Former Indian cricketer Balwinder Singh Sandhu was critical of the Indian batting and said that as soon as there are close-in fielders, the pressure gets to the Indian batting line-up. He also gave the example of Sachin Tendulkar and how he prepared ahead of the 1990 tour of England.
“Losing to South Africa’s two spinners while chasing only 120 on the third day is beyond shocking. To me, the moment batsmen see close-in fielders, the pressure gets to them. They’re not used to that intensity anymore because T20 cricket doesn’t challenge your defence the same way. Add to that the fact that many players hardly play domestic cricket now, and you lose the toughness that only those difficult pitches teach,” Sandhu wrote in his Mid-Day Column.
“I remember how the greats prepared. Before the 1990 England tour, Sachin Tendulkar called me to the RCF ground because the pitch had grass and bounce. I brought seven or eight pacers. He batted for two hours every single day. That’s hunger. That’s preparation. Why can’t today’s players show even half that attitude?” he added.
The former fast bowler also said that this Indian side is not learning from past mistakes. “And are we not learning from past mistakes? New Zealand thrashed us in our own backyard not long ago. Yet we repeat the same errors. It clearly shows a poor understanding of our current players’ abilities. For a head coach and batting coach, that’s unacceptable. Being a coach myself, I feel any coach who has been around for years should know his team’s strengths, weaknesses, and mindset inside out. We still don’t know who is ready to step into the shoes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who, I feel, were moved out too quickly. Youngsters should be groomed around seniors, not at the cost of them.”
