Ravi Shastri was at his brutal best as the Indian innings capitulated on Day 3 of the 2nd Test between India and South Africa in Guwahati. India resumed its batting on Day 3 at 9/0, and as openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal cautiously started India's reply to South Africa's first-innings total of 489. However, as the two adopted a watchful approach, India played out quite a few dot balls. The ball was doing quite a bit, and hence, the Indian openers weren't willing to take too many risks.
However, after a watchful start, the innings imploded on a relatively easier surface to bat on. India, from 65/0 were reduced to 122/7, losing 7 wickets for 57 runs. Indian batters committed absolute hara-kiri, simply gifting their wickets away. Shastri made it clear on commentary that the pitch at The Barsapara Cricket Stadium isn't a 150/7 kind of surface and called out India's batting order that's undergone way too much experimentation.
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"No, absolutely not. It makes no sense. I don't understand the thought process there. I mean, when they look back at this series, some of the selections… still trying to figure out the thought process there. For example, you play 4 spinners in Kolkata and bowl one of the spinners for just one over. Ideally, you should have gone in with a specialist batter. Similarly, here, making Washington Sundar bat at 3 in the last Test, but you could have easily made him bat at No. 4 here, now that you have a No. 3. He [Sundar] is no No. 8. He's way better than a number 8," Shastri said while on commentary on Monday.
And one tends to agree with Shastri. After Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara, India's No. 3 has become a round of musical chairs. India, especially the head coach Gautam Gambhir, needs to sort out their batting order. There have been constant shuffles, with multiple players tried at No. 3. Even on the England tour, Karun Nair filled the role, as did Sai Sudharsan. India persisted with Sudharsan for the West Indies series but was then left out of the Kolkata Test for Washington Sundar. In Guwahati, with Sudharsan back at 3, Sundar was pushed down to No. 8.
{{/usCountry}}And one tends to agree with Shastri. After Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara, India's No. 3 has become a round of musical chairs. India, especially the head coach Gautam Gambhir, needs to sort out their batting order. There have been constant shuffles, with multiple players tried at No. 3. Even on the England tour, Karun Nair filled the role, as did Sai Sudharsan. India persisted with Sudharsan for the West Indies series but was then left out of the Kolkata Test for Washington Sundar. In Guwahati, with Sudharsan back at 3, Sundar was pushed down to No. 8.
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