India clinched a decisive seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the second and final IND vs SA Test at Cape Town, levelling the two-match series with a swift conclusion on Thursday. Following a setback in the initial Test in Centurion, India orchestrated a remarkable turnaround.
The standout performance came from fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who delivered exceptional figures of 6/61, limiting South Africa to 176 after their astonishing first-innings dismissal for just 55. The target of 79 was comfortably chased down in the second session, led by skipper Rohit Sharma.
Speaking exclusively to StarSports, wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul delved into team readiness and mentality against South Africa at Cape Town
“There was a little bit of change of the planning and attitude only. I mean we can’t say that we weren’t ready during the last test match. We were ready but there are situations where the opposition really blasts you out of the test match or we are not used to it. Since last 4-5 years, we’ve been a team that’s really competed and we have won series outside of India, so we weren’t ready for it and it was a huge hit for us, but it speaks volumes of how much we enjoy playing test cricket and how much we value playing for our country and how much test victories outside of India mean to us.” he stated.
India’s comeback ft KL Rahul
Ahead of the two-Test series against South Africa, doubts were frequently raised about India’s preparedness. Following the team’s innings defeat in Centurion, led by captain Rohit Sharma, criticism intensified. Some argued that the intra-squad matches were insufficient for effective preparation. Contrary to these claims, KL Rahul rebuffed the assertions, maintaining that the team was adequately prepared for the challenging Centurion Test.
“So, it was just a mental shift during the turnaround time of one day. We were more ready this time and we were ready for a fight. We wanted to get this win and just do our job really well. I think we weren’t really 100% during our last match in terms of batting or bowling. We were prepared, but that extra edge or extra fire was missing, credit to South Africa as well, that they didn’t allowed us to reach to that confidence. They bowled us out very cheaply in both the innings. So, we were really happy that we could bounce off so well.“ KL Rahul added.
KL Rahul opens on his comeback:
Rahul’s remarkable comeback story unfolded after facing significant setbacks earlier in the year. Having endured a hamstring injury during IPL 2023, Rahul underwent an extensive recovery process, including surgery on his right thigh.
Despite the challenging rehabilitation, the wicketkeeper staged a triumphant return during the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. Rahul’s resilience was evident as he not only made a significant contribution with the bat but also achieved a record-breaking 101 in the first test, showcasing his determination and skill despite India’s struggles in the match.
When I first had injury, initially it was very frustrating for me, but honestly staying alone was the best thing for me. I was not able to score good runs before injury and there was a lot of criticism and I wasn’t enjoying my cricket and being in the ground and getting criticized so often.
So that break really helped me and when I started training after surgery, there was some freshness and new energy within me. I realized how much I love the game and how much I miss playing the game, whether it is doing well or not doing well, that’s secondary but just being on the field wearing the blues or wearing the whites you really sense and understand how much you love this game, and this is all we’ve always done since we were kids.” Rahul concluded.
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