NEW DELHI: Battered and bruised after a heavy innings defeat, skipper
Rohit Sharma
on Tuesday said that the batters need to find a way to cope up with the 'challenging' South African conditions ahead of the second Test in Cape Town.
India batters struggled in the first Test in Centurion in bowling-friendly conditions, putting up 245 in the first innings and then nosediving to 131 all out in their second essay.
On the eve of the second and final Test, Rohit said he does not expect the conditions to be much different from Centurion and the team has learnt a lot from the mistakes made in the first game.
"The pitch looks pretty similar to Centurion," he said. "Maybe not full of grass but there is enough covering of grass on the pitch."
Sharma missed his team's tour two seasons ago because of injury but said teammates who were in Cape Town said conditions appeared to be much as they were then, when the highest team total in a tightly-contested match, won by South Africa, was 223.
Three of India's top six batsmen are on their first tour of South Africa and they all struggled at Centurion. Sharma, who only made give and nought, said they would have benefitted from the first game.
"At some stage we all have to be exposed to conditions like this," he said.
"I am sure they will have learned a lot from the first game and tomorrow is another opportunity for them to understand what is required.
"It is challenging but that's what Test cricket is about," he said.
Sharma said inexperience had also affected India's bowling in Centurion.
"That can happen, it's understandable, but it's about putting your faith and trust in them to get the job done."
(With inputs from AFP)
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