IND vs SA: Anil Kumble Slams India's Lack Of Application, Patience, 'Batting Effort Was Poor...Test Cricket Was Missing'

India vs South Africa Guwahati Test: The legendary Anil Kumble on Monday slammed the Indian batters' approach after the team conceded a 288-run lead to South Africa in the second Test here, even as pace great Dale Steyn lauded the visitors after three successive days of dominance.

On a pitch that Kuldeep Yadav had compared to a "road", India were bounced out for a lowly 201 in their first innings by 6 feet 8 inches tall pacer Marco Jansen, who returned a haul of 6 for 48 after smashing 93 on the second day.

"I felt India's batting effort was quite poor. The application and patience required in Test cricket were missing. While there were some good deliveries, the batsmen didn't seem prepared to endure tough spells or play session by session," Kumble told JioStar.

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South Africa, who lead the two-match series 1-0, racked up 489 in their first innings.

"It seemed like the aim was to chase runs quickly, which is unrealistic in a Test match where 489 runs need to be built gradually. Respecting the opposition bowlers and their spells is crucial, but India didn't show enough of that resilience," Kumble said.

The former India spinner added, "Marco Jansen bowled exceptionally well, putting India under consistent pressure. When he started bowling bouncers, which can be tricky given his height and awkward length, India appeared unprepared to either leave or take the blows.

"That approach is essential in Test cricket to survive challenging spells, but unfortunately, it was lacking in India's approach today."

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Former South African pace spearhead Steyn said it was "rare to witness" a visiting team dominate for three days straight in India, who also lost the first Test after failing to chase 124 on a challenging Eden Gardens track in Kolkata.

"It's rare to witness a visiting side dominate three days of cricket in India like this. In my view, their strategy and execution in these Guwahati conditions have outshone India's efforts," Steyn said after the third day's proceedings at the Barsapara Stadium.