Shamik Chakrabarty in Guwahati
Slowly but surely South Africa batted India out of the second Test. The lead swelled. The Proteas started Day 4 on 26 for no loss. The lead went past the 400-run mark just after tea. A team can lose a game or a series, but the biggest concern was the body language of the Indian players on the field. Even the three wickets that fell in the first session had muted celebrations.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s post on X (formerly Twitter), was timely. “I really hope we can bounce back while batting in the 2nd innings, but the indications on the field with respect to body language,” wrote the former off-spinner. The Indian players seemed to be going through the motions. At times, KL Rahul was instructing the fielders from his position at first slip. But overall, with very little turnout, cricket was virtually being played in the sound of silence.
There was a time when Virat Kohli used to play the on-field cheerleader, in highs and lows. Players automatically get a spring in their step when the team is on top. It’s important to keep the morale high when the chips are down. Kohli was a master of doing that irrespective of whether he was the captain or not. He has hung up his Test boots and on occasions like this, it feels like the team is missing him – Kohli’s batting quality and his leadership.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news