NEWS
Follow UsIndia lost the three-match ODI series 3-0 to complete a rather disappointing tour after winning the opening Test in Centurion in some style. While in neither occasion did India manage to get past the 300-run mark, the inability to throw away the starts cost them big-time. With the ball, India had nowhere to hide, with the South African top and middle order latching on to the opportunity to leave India in a spot of bother.
Rahul didn't shy away from admitting the same and stated that even though India did play well in patches, it was never enough to sustain the momentum.
"Quite obvious where we've gone wrong. No shying away from it. At times our shot selection has been poor. Even with the ball, we haven't been hitting the right areas consistently. Have played well in patches but haven't built pressure over a long period. Can't fault the boys for their passion and effort. In terms of skill and understanding the situation - sometimes we've gone wrong. But it happens - we've got some new guys in the team," Rahul said in the presentation.
Since 2020, India have won only two series - England at home and Sri Lanka away - and lost to New Zealand, Australia, and now South Africa. With the 2023 World Cup less than a couple of years away, things seem rather murky at the moment. Rahul admitted that India keep committing the same mistakes in the ODI format but added that they have identified the areas of concern.
"In the one-day series at times we've kept doing the same mistakes. It's early in our journey to the World Cup. We can go back, have some hard conversations. Have had a great time in SA. Have been looked after really well. We've shown a lot of fight. Today, Deepak gave us a real chance of winning the game. Quite an exciting game, just disappointed we ended up on the losing side. We gave ourselves a real chance, something we can learn from and get better," the Karnataka batter added.