Many instances can narrate where the Indian bowlers went wrong in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Centurion but if one had to pick a single event, the over that Prasidh Krishna bowled to Marco Jansen after the lunch break on Day 3 would be enough. Jasprit Bumrah had just bowled a beauty from around the wicket to send Kagiso Rabada’s off-stump flying in the first over of the second session. It was too good for the South African pacer. The wry smile on his and Bumrah’s face suggested exactly that. Bumrah has been an exception in an otherwise disappointing bowling performance from India in this Test so far. The same was proven at the other end, almost immediately.
That was the 8th South African wicket to fall. With captain Temba Bavuma injured and unlikely to bat, India needed only one more wicket to wrap the hosts’ innings. Rohit Sharma threw the ball to the debutant, who had had a forgettable Test match till then. And things didn’t really change much.
Three of Prasidh’s five deliveries in that over were down the leg side. It was at that point when former South Africa all-rounder, Shaun Pollock expressed his disappointment. Pollock said India captain Rohit, who was standing in the slips, would not be pleased at that performance from Prasidh.
“Look at Rohit Sharma… Hands on the hips as if to say ‘did you not listen to the team talk?’ That’s three deliveries down the leg side now. Come on give me a chance. Probably Temba is not going to come out to bat, so this is our chance, let’s get this wicket,” he said in commentary.
We would never know whether Rohit indeed thought on those lines or not but that he was miffed with Prasidh’s poor over was evident. He immediately decided to take the debutant off the attack and introduce Mohammed Siraj from his end. But it was Bumrah who finally got the last wicket to bowl South Africa out for 408.
Apart from Bumrah (4/69), none of the Indian bowlers had much of an impact. Prasidh and Shardul Thakur were the most disappointing among the five bowlers used by Rohit.
Prasidh had a forgettable debut, conceding 93 runs in his 20 overs for just 1 wicket. India had a selection choice to make between him and Mukesh Kumar after Mohammed Shami was ruled out of the two-match series due to an ankle injury and the team management decided to go with the Karnataka pacer because of his ability to hit the deck hard. However, the right-arm pacer’s inexperience with the red ball was on full display on Day 2 and Day 3. He bowled too many boundary balls that allowed the South African batters to score freely.
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