South Africa won the first Test against India in Kolkata by 30 runs.
South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad revealed the tactical thinking behind his team’s late declaration on Day 4 of the IND vs SA 2nd Test in Guwahati, stressing that it was part of a broader plan to demoralise India.
India are now on the cusp of another potential Test series whitewash on their home soil in just over 12 months after South Africa’s complete dominance over the first four days of the IND vs SA 2nd Test in Guwahati. Led by stand-in captain Rishabh Pant, India must chase over 500 runs with only eight wickets in hand on the final day to avoid series defeat. The Proteas are poised to secure their first series win in India in 25 years.
Conrad spoke of wanting the hosts to come out after lunch and spend more time on the field, toiling them not just physically but mentally as well. The Indian players were standing on the field on all four days, bowling 235 overs across two innings. Having already secured a massive 288-run first-innings lead, the Proteas batted deep into the penultimate day, focusing on accumulating slowly while draining India’s energy and belief.
South Africa eventually declared at 260/5, setting India a towering 549 and leaving them a tricky one hour on Day 4 and the final day to negotiate. The delayed declaration meant exploiting the workload of India’s bowlers. The impact was immediate as Marco Jansen and off-spinner Simon Harmer seized the opportunity with the new ball, sending Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul back to the pavilion to leave India 27/2 at stumps and taking India’s win out of the equation.
“We wanted them to really grovel,” he said, indicating that the visitors aimed to break India’s spirit as much as to win the game. “We wanted India to spend as much time out on their feet out in the field, bat them completely out of the game and then say to them, ‘Well, come and survive on the last day and an hour this evening.”
“We wanted India to come out after lunch and spend time on their feet. Their bowlers spent a lot of time out there. We saw the effects of batting for 2 full days in the first innings. It was never going to be easy for their opening batters to come this evening, especially with the new ball, shadows across the wicket,” Shukri explained.
The visitors batted for nearly two-and-a-half sessions on Day 4, taking their time to drain India’s energy and patience before declaring at 260/5, setting an improbable 549-run target.
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The decision to delay the declaration also factored in the pitch conditions and the benefits of bowling with a relatively new ball in the evening when shadows across the wicket aid pace bowlers.
Conrad stressed that the pitch had not deteriorated enough earlier in the day to declare sooner, and timing was crucial both tactically and psychologically. Despite some criticism about the late declaration, Conrad defended the team’s decision, emphasising that it was a calculated risk.
“If tomorrow evening it comes that we have them eight down… then yes, we are basing it on sound judgment,” he said. “But I don’t think there is a right and wrong in any of this.”
India face a monumental task as they aim at a historic run chase, while South Africa are sitting comfortably in the match and the series, thanks to their ruthless approach. The Protea coach’s comments offer a strategy involving a test of the mental and physical toughness of Indian players.
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