Bharat Arun slams team India bowlers after dismal performance in 1st Test against South Africa

India lost the 1st Test match against South Africa by an innings and 32 runs at Centurion. The Men in Blue are looking for a fight back against the Proteas. Except for Jasprit Bumrah, no other India bowlers were effective on the green wicket of the Supersport Park Centurion. Though the batters also performed miserably in the Rainbow nation except Virat Kohli and KL Rahul no batters were able to score a fifty in the 1st Test. 

Ahead of the 2nd Test, the former India bowling coach Bharat Arun applauded Jasprit Bumrah's return to red-ball cricket in SuperSport Park and was quick to reminisce about India's incredible turnaround from its historic 36-all out to a series win in Australia during the 2020–21 tour.

Arun slammed the lack of support from other fast bowlers, however before the series-saving match in Newlands, he further stated that the former India head coach Ravi Shastri's suggestion for the pace unit from the 2018 tour's game in Cape Town. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowling coach hailed Kagiso Rabada. 

I remember the conversation Ravi Shastri had after the Cape Town Test: Bharat Arun

Arun speaking with Rev Sportz "If you look at the discipline that the South Africans showed, if you look at the pitch map of Rabada in the first innings, it was impeccable. Yes, the four-to-six-metre marks are the best, because that gives you a chance for the ball to move as well, or even seam off the wicket. You’re bowling that much quicker because of the trajectory. So, not only that but if you look at the line in which Rabada bowled, I thought that was exceptional. And the only comparison I can say is I was pretty impressed with Bumrah’s bowling."

"The rest of them, if you look at their lines, there was much to be desired. Far too much width and also, on certain occasions, far too short. So, that doesn’t suit, you know, when you’re bowling in South Africa. Like I remember the conversation Ravi Shastri had after the Cape Town Test first innings – he said I want you guys to leave the driving licence at home. Unless you have something specific, attack them all the time. So, that was the key. That’s when the entire bowling revolution started. So, I think discipline is of most importance."