The former captain, Anjum Chopra, brought out the issue of India’s inability to manage spinners that caused the ultimate defeat of India in the second Test against South Africa. She emphasised the fact that the issue had to be addressed.
When the spin was consistently giving the Indian batters trouble, it was an issue that could not be overlooked. South Africa won the match, and as a result of the second Test match, they gained a lead of 408 runs more than India, who were playing at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati.
Anjum Chopra calls for urgent action on spin batting struggles
While speaking to ANI, Anjum Chopra said, “If it’s happening repeatedly and very many times, then it’s obviously an alarming situation that needs to be addressed. Rather than fighting a situation and proving anyone else by saying, No, that’s not the case, if spin has been an undoing for many batters individually or as a team collectively, then it has been.
So I’m sure that needs to be addressed very urgently. If you’re obviously getting dismissed to spin, then yes, that is a challenge. It’s about understanding and identifying that, yes, that is a challenge for us. If it’s just a one-off time that’s happened to us, then we can say we didn’t judge the length, the line, or whatever the skin might be. We were unable to cope with that.”
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Anjum Chopra on why switching formats Tests both skill and mindset
“Human bodies don’t function. Neither does a mindset function like a machine. That is why there are some emotions. And that is how there is a human error. So we were very much focused on winning the T20 World Cup. Then, prior to that, we were focused on winning the ODI World Cup. And I think, as an Indian team, we did very well there in both formats.
Prior to that ODI World Cup, we were very keen on winning the World Test Championship as well. And not one. We were there in the finals of the World Test Championship twice,”
Chopra added. “I think that consistency was there. It’s not that I will not say that the focus has gone away. But when you’re shifting formats, and it’s not always that you’ll be facing a team which is ranked lower than you. You’ll be facing a team which is ranked higher than you in different conditions. And each time, it’s not very easy to adapt,” she concluded.
What happened in the 2nd IND Vs SA Test
South Africa humbled India by 408 runs on the final Day of the 2nd Test at Guwahati and thus cleansed the series 2-0 on Tuesday in Guwahati. The defeat is a further embarrassment in India’s Test saga as it was their largest loss in the history of Test matches.
After 25 years, it was South Africa’s first series victory in India. Indian players were required to score 549. Ravindra Jadeja scored 54 runs off 87 balls, but he was the only one to make any significant contribution. The star bowler Simon Harmer not only recorded his career-best figures of 6/37 but also claimed three more wickets in the second innings for a total of nine wickets in the match.
