Suryakumar warned of 'glaring' concern as India told to be 'humble' after South Africa thrashing: He struggled the most
Sanjay Manjrekar urged the side to remain “humble” and quickly address key flaws before their next Super 8 fixture against Zimbabwe in Chennai later this week.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav was warned of a major vulnerability on Monday after it became a “glaring” concern in the team’s humiliating 76-run loss to South Africa in their Super 8 clash in Ahmedabad. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar urged the side to remain “humble” and quickly address key flaws before their next Super 8 fixture against Zimbabwe in Chennai later this week.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav reacts as he leaves the ground after losing his wicket on Sunday. (AP) (HT_PRINT)
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Reflecting on the defeat in a video posted on Instagram, Manjrekar said the loss served as a reality check. He stressed that India must “respect the opposition” and view the setback as an opportunity to fix three clear areas of concern.
“A big defeat for India against South Africa. The first strong team India has played, and they haven’t really coped well. But the good news is that India is not out of the tournament,” he said.
“What South Africa have done — and we have to be humble and respect the opposition, and in a way thank them — is show us three areas of improvement that we can still work on to get into the final rounds and hopefully win the title.”
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“What South Africa have done — and we have to be humble and respect the opposition, and in a way thank them — is show us three areas of improvement that we can still work on to get into the final rounds and hopefully win the title.”
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Manjrekar identified India’s struggle against spin as the most pressing issue throughout the tournament.
“The first area of concern is obvious: India are struggling against spin. So how do you solve that? Rearrange the batting order so that naturally good players of spin bat higher up. Someone like Tilak Varma, who is struggling a little, can move down the order,” he suggested.
He then pointed to another weakness that was exposed against South Africa — the batters’ difficulty against pace-off deliveries. Suryakumar, who scored 18 off 22 balls, came under particular scrutiny.
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“The other glaring thing in this game was that when pace bowlers took the pace off, Indian batters struggled. The captain seemed to struggle the most when the pace was taken off,” Manjrekar observed.
Finally, he recommended strengthening the bowling attack by including Kuldeep Yadav as an additional wicket-taking option.
“When the batting isn’t firing, teams often look to add more batting depth. But another way to cover that weakness is by strengthening the bowling. So get Kuldeep Yadav in.”
“If changes are made quickly and effectively, India still have a great chance of reaching the final rounds,” he concluded.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
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Home/Cricket/Suryakumar warned of 'glaring' concern as India told to be 'humble' after South Africa thrashing: He struggled the most
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