The two-match India vs South Africa Test series started on Tuesday. The match has seen the South African pace bowlers dominate the contest. The going has been tough for India with top batters like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma back in the hut. Apart from England and Australia, South Africa is one side which has always been a tricky opponent for India. The Indian cricket team has never been able to win a Test series in South Africa. This series is an opportunity to change that record.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has slammed that the India vs South Africa Test series series is only a two-test affair.
“Anything less than a three-match series is a disservice to Test cricket. All the talk about protecting Test cricket and being its guardian does not mean we are doing what’s necessary. We need to walk the talk. We are playing a two-Test series because if teams play a single match, then it can’t be called a series. It has to be a minimum of two matches,” Aakash Chopra said on Jio Cinema.
“So, it’s just like fulfilling that minimum commitment and leaving. You play five matches against Australia, you play five against England. South Africa are the third major side. But we are doing South Africa a disservice. We are doing a disservice to Test cricket by playing a two-match series. If you are saying Test cricket is supreme, then give it the status it deserves.”
In a post on X, he wrote: “In the WTC Cycle…every country must play 6 series. ‘Series’ is the key operative word here. The minimum requirement to call any engagement a ‘series’ is to play two-tests. Therefore, you see a lot of 2-Test series (otherwise a lot of teams will be happy to play one-Test and move on) But having an India-SA Test series of just two games is a travesty. Before you point your guns at the BCCI…please to note — India doesn’t make a penny out of this tour. The monies are for SA to keep.”
In the WTC Cycle…every country must play 6 series. ‘Series’ is the key operative word here. The minimum requirement to call any engagement a ‘series’ is to play two-tests. Therefore, you see a lot of 2-Test series (otherwise a lot of teams will be happy to play one-Test and move…
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) December 26, 2023
Aakash Chopra also delved into the subject of batters finding it difficult to bat in South African condition.
“If you look at the stats of even the best players across eras, be it Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara, their average while batting in South Africa has dropped quite significantly. South Africa is a tough place to bat,” he said.
“In England, the ball swings a lot but you eventually adjust your game to it. In Australia, you face extra bounce. Even here you adjust after some time. South Africa is a combination of both. Take the swing of England and the bounce of Australia. The wicket never turns flat at any given time of the day. The bowlers get something from the pitch or the air through the day. That’s why it’s so difficult to bat there.”
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