IND vs SA: South Africa Is Playing Good Cricket But We Are Making Mistakes As Well - KL Rahul After Series Loss

Team India lost the second ODI against South Africa to concede the ODI series with one more match left to go. Speaking about the loss, Indian captain KL Rahul stated that their opponents brought their A-game but insisted that his team has a lot to improve.

“They are playing some really good cricket at home and we are making mistakes as well in the middle. Good learning for us. Obviously not great to be on the losing side two games in a row,” Rahul said in the post-match presentation.

Rahul also mentioned that there is a need to build partnerships as South Africa did. Unfortunately for India, their middle-order has been weak in all formats at the moment.

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“(Changes to your side?) Not with individuals but we’re trying to get better at things we haven’t done well in the past. I spoke about partnerships earlier. The middle-order is crucial going into a big tournament,” the skipper added.

“Don’t think it was a pitch where they could have chased down 280 that easily” – KL Rahul

The second game was played at the same venue where the first one was played. While the first game saw the pitch being slow before getting better for batting, the ODI on Friday was consistent throughout. India’s target of 288 seemed quite good at the halfway stage but the South African batters played brilliantly.

“We want to get wickets in the middle, create pressure. I don’t think it was a pitch they could have chased down 280 that easily but credit to them, they batted well. They showed us the importance of partnerships and the importance of putting pressure early,” he said.

Despite the loss, there were a few positives to take from the game for Rahul and co. Shikhar Dhawan’s contributions, Rishabh Pant‘s blitz, and Jasprit Bumrah’s consistency were the silver lining.

“The way Virat and Shikhar batted in the first game. The way Rishabh batted today. Not easy to come in with two down. He’s a really important member of the team. Shardul has been hitting the ball well at the end and he’s showing us he can bat. Jasprit Bumrah is obviously phenomenal. Continues to be the standout bowler of the team,” Rahul concluded.

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