South Africa Vs India: Kris Srikkanth believes lack of support led to visitors’ downfall

Former Indian batsman Kris Srikkanth in his column for Times of India revealed there was not enough support for the Team India skipper Virat Kohli which led to the series loss on the South African soil.

“I am not going to get into the manner in which the Indian batsmen lost their wickets,” Srikkanth wrote in his recent piece.

The 58-year-old Chennai-born Srikkanth further rues that his national side has lacked in the determination which further triggered the batting collapses first in the Cape Town and then in Centurion as South Africa went on to take the unassailable lead of 2-0 in the ongoing three-match Sunfoil Test series.

“The manner in which the batsmen surrendered in the second innings proved beyond doubt they lacked the stomach for a battle,” Srikkanth stated in his write-up.

Srikkanth has lauded the efforts of Kohli, who scored most of the runs for the team while remarking the batting mainstay has gone from strength to strength, and the support from the top-order batsman could have done wonders for the team.

“My heart goes out to Virat Kohli the batsman. The manner in which he handled the bowling in the first innings made us believe he was playing on a different wicket against a different attack,” Srikkanth added in his column.

Interestingly, across four innings, the 29-year-old batsman Kohli is the only batsman, who has smashed a fine hundred which came in the first innings of the SuperSport Park.

“To score half the team’s score and do that effortlessly shows the class of Kohli,” Srikkanth wrote about Kohli, who wears heart on his sleeve.

India would be aiming to salvage some pride in the third and final Test which will be kicking off on January 24 at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

“To say the defeat in the second Test was an embarrassment is an understatement,” Srikkanth observed.

Lack of application saw India losing the first Test 72 runs which was followed by a 135-run loss in Centurion and according to Srikkanth while adding Indian fielding was not that good and simultaneously added the pressure back on the bowlers.

The former right-handed batsman Srikkanth, who played 43 Tests for India reiterated the hosts bowling was not that threatening and the meek batting has eventually paid the huge price, but believes the bowlers have done the tremendous job since landing the foot in the Rainbow Nation.

“All I can say is the South African bowling was not as menacing as it was made out to be and it was lack of application that cost the game,” Srikkanth asserted.

However, Srikkanth further made it clear that it not easy chase in the fourth innings, but eventually not improbable to chase down on a surface which was on the slower side.

“A target of 287 was not easy at the same time it was not impossible,” Srikkanth felt.

Moreover, India managed to post 151 in 50.2 overs in the second innings of the penultimate Test.

Srikkanth had further praised the efforts of the Proteas fielding which further saw Morne Morkel claiming acrobatic AB de Villiers completed the stunner of Parthiv Patel before Rohit Sharma’s catch.

“South Africa prevailed during the clutch situations, thanks to their superior fielding,” Srikkanth concluded.

Srikkanth between 1981 and 1992, he played 146 ODIs as well. He scored 2,062 runs at an average of 29.88, and he averaged 29.01 in the 50-over format.

Follow India’s tour of Rainbow Nation: South Africa Vs India, 2018