Johannesburg, In the aftermath of Team India’s challenging performance in the opening Test against South Africa, former Proteas pacer Allan Donald has offered valuable insights, emphasizing the prowess of legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar on South African soil.
India’s struggles in red-ball cricket in South Africa are well-documented, and Donald pointed out Tendulkar as the exception, having scored four Test centuries in five tours to the country. Speaking on India’s recent batting collapse, Donald remarked, “Only person I know who played us well was Tendulkar, who triggered (had a trigger movement) while batting in South Africa rather than stand on middle-stump. He pressed forward and left the ball amazingly well.”
Tendulkar stands among the elite, being one of only two batters, along with Wally Hammond of England, to amass over a thousand runs in Tests in South Africa. With 1161 runs in 15 Tests, including five centuries and three fifties, Tendulkar’s success in the Rainbow Nation remains unparalleled.
Following India’s struggles, Donald had valuable advice for the visiting team’s batters, stating, “If you leave the ball well here, you can score runs. You got to get bowlers to come to you and search a little bit more. They start coming to you, the opportunities of scoring get better. It’s an interesting phenomenon as it’s tough to bat.”
The second and final Test of the series is set to commence on January 3 in Johannesburg. The Indian Test team will then return to action with a five-Test home series against England.
