NEWS
Follow UsAn all-around performance by South Africa helped them beat India by 31 runs in the first of the three-match ODI series at Paarl on Wednesday.
After electing to bat first, the home team set a target of 297 runs courtesy of twin centuries from Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen.
In reply, Shikhar Dhawan top-scored for the Indian outfit with a gritty 79 off 84 deliveries with ten boundaries. Despite a solid foundation at the top of the order, the middle-order crumbled under pressure resulting in a flurry of wickets.
"We had a good start, and I feel the wicket was slow, it was offering a bit of turn as well. So, when you are chasing around 300 runs, it is not easy to play shots when the middle-order comes to bat. Our wickets fell in a heap, and that had an impact on us as a batting unit, " Dhawan said in a post-match press conference.
With the emergence of young players like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Prithvi Shaw, this series will be crucial for Dhawan to cement his place in the playing XI.
"I am used to the talks, and I just know how to give my best and make sure that my preparation is good, and then I leave it on God. I know that with my experience and self-confidence, I will do good," he said.
"The plan was to play on merit in the beginning, and it was a sort of wicket that we get back home. So I was carrying forward my flow, but when the wickets fell, it was in my mind to stitch a big partnership."
"It wasn't easy for the new batsmen to make runs, the plan of the set batsmen was to take it deep, but unfortunately, I got out, didn't expect the turn, but yes, that happens.
The southpaw also shared insights on the role of the senior players in guiding the inexperienced middle order.
"We usually guide them on how to analyse the situation and play according to what the team requires. It is essential to play their natural game but also analyse the situation of the match. I feel with time and experience, they will learn, and it'll get better," he said.
One of the issues for the Indian team was the lack of wickets in the middle-overs. Despite the bowling unit struggling to stem the flow of runs and break the partnerships, India did not use the service of Venkatesh Iyer.
"We did not feel the need because our spinners bowled well, and the wicket was offering some turn. The fast bowlers were used at the end and in the middle overs when we needed to break through the partnership. Unfortunately, we could not get the wicket, and we had to bowl our main bowlers in the end, including the spinners.
"I feel both the South African batters batted quite well, and they took the innings quite deep. 300 runs on this wicket with two new batters is a challenge. From our team, we did not have a century, and we did not have a big partnership," he said when asked about the turning point of the game.
The 36-year old also revealed that the Indian team is working on combinations for the 2023 World Cup and believes these games will be vital for the team to gain experience and refine their skill sets.
"The thought process for the team is to build the squad for the 2023 World Cup. So, there will be a few hiccups here and there, which is totally fine, and as a team, we analyse how we can get better and have good clarity in this bunch and how to refine them.
With Rohit coming, we will have experience coming, and the youngsters will learn a lot from this tour. If a result of the match does not go in favour of one-off games, it does not matter because we are looking at the bigger picture," he concluded.
(With inputs from PTI)
