IND vs SA: Fear of failure impacting India in home conditions

Fear of failure impacting India in home conditions (PTI Photo)

For the fourth time in the last one year India lost a Test match at home on a tailor made wicket. The Indian management had asked for a rank turner and was given one. Gautam Gambhir made it very clear that the pitch was to their liking and was exactly what they had asked for. The question to ask is why did India ask for this pitch?

After winning two Tests in very good decks in England and coming close in Leeds and Lord’s, why would you want a rank turner at home where you have bowlers like Kuldeep, Bumrah and Jadeja in your ranks? Why would you not think that these bowlers are good enough to win you games on any track? More when you know that your batting lacks the skill and the temperament on a rank turner?

The question is what prompted India to ask for a wicket like this? Why not play on good conventional batting wickets where spin will inevitably come into play from day three of the game? Why prepare wickets which will make South African spinners look much better than they are and make Simon Harmer unplayable? Why would India convert home Test matches into a lottery?

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That’s what begs me to ask if the management doesn’t have the same belief in the bowlers? With Bumrah you have class all over. Kuldeep is a fantastic bowler at home and Jadeja’s record is proof what he is capable of. Then why? Why is it that Gautam and Shubman will ask for these wickets? Is it to inflict fear in the minds of the opponent and gain some kind of mental ascendancy? Is it to make sure that the game gets done early and you secure some valuable WTC points? The truth is I am failing to understand the rationale behind these wickets when we have the evidence of the New Zealand series in front of us?

Or is it ego? That we had failed against New Zealand but now we are much better and can indeed win on tailor made wickets? While it is true that the Shubman Gill injury impacted India big, it is also true that the rest of the batters should have closed out the game. To not do so while chasing just 124 shows up mental fragility and that’s what India needs to address going forward.

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Shot selection was poor. Jaiswal just flirted with a delivery outside off and edged it. Jurel got a long hop which could have been dispatched to any part of the ground. He held out in the deep. Rishabh played a poor shot and so did Axar. It wasn’t the pitch that got the Indian batters out. They themselves did and pushed the team back. Did they not believe that the chase was on? Did they have the mental strength to take control after the fall of the two early wickets? Why would one of the batters not do a Bavuma and grind it out? How is it that lessons haven’t been learnt?

Going forward this could well be Gautam Gambhir’s biggest challenge. To make the boys believe that they can. At the moment, India look fragile. They are trying too hard not to fail and that’s the biggest cause for failure.