<p>The legendary Sunil Gavaskar attacked the body language of the Indian players in the morning session of Day 3 of the first Test against South Africa if former India head coach Ravi Shastri was criticizing India’s tactics of starting the second session of Day 2 with Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna instead of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. In the first hour of play on Thursday at Supersport Park in Centurion, Gavaskar claimed that India’s body language and performance were “listless” and that they should get out of their sleep as quickly as possible.</p>
<p><img decoding=”async” class=”alignnone wp-image-328007″ src=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/theindiaprint.com-gavaskar-rips-at-the-listless-body-language-of-india-as-jansen-and-elgar-destroy-w-750×450.jpg” alt=”theindiaprint.com gavaskar rips at the listless body language of india as jansen and elgar destroy w” width=”1075″ height=”645″ title=”Gavaskar rips at the "listless" body language of India as Jansen and Elgar destroy weak bowlers 3″ srcset=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/theindiaprint.com-gavaskar-rips-at-the-listless-body-language-of-india-as-jansen-and-elgar-destroy-w-750×450.jpg 750w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/theindiaprint.com-gavaskar-rips-at-the-listless-body-language-of-india-as-jansen-and-elgar-destroy-w-768×461.jpg 768w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/theindiaprint.com-gavaskar-rips-at-the-listless-body-language-of-india-as-jansen-and-elgar-destroy-w-150×90.jpg 150w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/theindiaprint.com-gavaskar-rips-at-the-listless-body-language-of-india-as-jansen-and-elgar-destroy-w.jpg 1024w” sizes=”(max-width: 1075px) 100vw, 1075px” /></p>
<p>While Bumrah and Siraj did start the innings for India, the instant skipper Rohit Sharma decided to rest them in order to save them for the second new ball, the floodgates opened. Dean Elgar and Marco Jansen took Prasidh and Shardul for runs once more. Gavaskar became enraged with several less-than-stellar performances on the field in between.</p>
<p>India needs to become aware. They’ve been apathetic. Currently, some of the attempts and body language that we have seen seem quite drowsy. Indeed, Bumrah bowled a solid stint, but Gavaskar’s assessment did not support that.</p>
<p>The seasoned Dean Elgar was denied his justifiable maiden double hundred. Nevertheless, he and the youthful Marco Jansen caused enough damage to India to perhaps put the visitors out of the first Test as South Africa reached 392 for 7 at lunch.</p>
<p>Elgar (185 off 287 balls), who had previously scored 199 in Tests, was on the verge of making his first double hundred when Shardul Thakur’s subtle tickle to leg-side bouncer ended his innings.</p>
<p>The lanky Jansen (72 batting, 119 balls), who isn’t exactly known for his batting skills, managed to navigate a deflated Indian attack that seemed disoriented and lacking in ideas despite this.</p>
<p>Elgar and Jansen put up 111 runs for the sixth wicket together. The Indian hitters will have a very difficult job ahead of them in trying to salvage the game, with the advantage currently up to 147 runs.</p>
<p>“There was no energy, nothing to charge up the bowlers,” remarked Gavaskar. While it is expected that players would grow fatigued after a hot and sunny lunch break, India’s cautious approach in the opening session of a fresh day defies explanation.</p>
<p>“I can understand this attitude an hour after tea on a hot day but not on the first hour of the day, definitely not,” he said.</p>
<p>On the third morning, the Indian bowlers were even more disappointing as left-arm seamer Jansen and former Proteas captain Elgar punished them ruthlessly after Shardul Thakur (1/101 in 19 overs) and Prasidh Krishna (1/92 in 19 overs) sprayed all over the place.</p>
<p>They could have thought they would get out early, but when that didn’t happen, they became withdrawn. The applause was not very loud. The bowlers had nothing to cheer them on. It was evident from the way the borders were flowing that the body language was quite negative. The energy was lacking. This morning’s session was supposed to be very important. During the Star Sports innings-break broadcast, Gavaskar said, “They really should have shown more energy.”</p>
