One of the major key takeaways from India’s heavy defeat to South Africa was continued, as was continued instability in the top order, as India lost three early wickets inside the powerplay, Ishan Kishan (0), Abhishek Sharma (15) and Tilak Varma (1), leaving them reeling at 26/3 in 4.3 overs. In the second successive match, Kishan failed to fire, while Abhishek has yet again struggled to deliver a substantial knock at the top after three successive ducks, and Tilak hasn’t made a significant impact yet.
Inconsistency in the top-three batting order has often left the middle order to carry the burden of rebuilding under pressure, disrupting the team’s momentum, and limiting their ability to control the tempo of the innings in crucial phases. However, the middle order also failed to step up in crucial situations, exposing a lack of collective responsibility in high-pressure chases and underlining deeper concern over India’s batting cohesion in Super 8.