5 Indian players should take note of their Test future abroad after South Africa vs India series

India showed a lot of character in the third Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, withstanding a tough wicket and eventually winning it by 63 runs to reduce the gap to 2-1. The fact that Indian pacers kept them in the match and won it for them despite getting bowled out for 187 on Day 1 says that they are a far competitive side than what they were 20 years back.

But despite the performance in the concluding Test, India have some concerns to address and they revolve around some key players. They are called key because they play big roles when India play at home. But when playing abroad and particularly in Tests, these same players were found wanting as the just concluded series showed and the signal could just turn red for their journey in the longest format in the coming days.

Here are five Indian players who were exposed in the Test series versus South Africa and could find winning the selectors’ favours again for tough foreign tour tough:

1. Rohit Sharma

Let’s face it. Rohit Sharma is not meant for Tests. The man was picked ahead of a technically and temperamentally sound Ajinkya Rahane in two Tests that India lost and he could muster just 78 runs in the four innings he played with 47 being the highest. Before the series, Sharma had an average of 42.45 in Tests and after the debacle, it has come down to 39.97 which is not up to the mark for a batsman who has three double hundreds in the 50 over format and two hundreds in T20 Internationals.

His technique was poor in South Africa and never did he look in control. The man had a tremendous beginning to his Test career in 2013 when he slammed two hundreds in his first two innings but in four years thereafter, he has managed to score just another 100. Sharma’s Test average abroad is an ordinary 25.35 (16 matches) while the same at home (9 matches) is 85.44 – a reason enough for his ouster from the team for an outbound flight.

2. Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan’s story is something similar to that of Sharma, with whom he scripts successful opening partnerships in the limited-overs format. He played just one Test in South Africa despite going there as a premier opening batsman and scored a couple of 16s, thus failing to give India a solid start while chasing a moderate target of 207 in Cape Town. The injury-prone left-handed batsman had a rocking beginning to his Test career in 2013 as he slammed 187 against Australia on debut but could not really keep up the momentum, especially in away games.

Dhawan’s away figures are a bit deceptive for though he has scored five hundreds in 19 matches played away, averaging over 43, only one of those hundreds have come outside Asia (in New Zealand). The other hundreds were against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh who do not have testing bowling attacks.

At home, the left-hander has played 10 Tests, scoring just one hundred and averages 40.20. India certainly have problems with their opening batsmen in Tests abroad since the exit of Virender Sehwag but for 32-year-old Dhawan, the road could soon end if he fails to deliver big.

3. Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin was the most experienced and prolific bowler in the Indian side that toured South Africa but did not deliver as per the expectations. He was, in fact, called to bowl in the first Test in Cape Town after 40 overs and in the four innings that he bowled in the first two Tests (he was dropped for the third Test), Ashwin could bag seven scalps with the best figures of 4 for 113 in the first innings in Centurion.

With 311 Test wickets in his kitty, Ashwin was expected to deliver bigger but the off-spinner has mostly proved to be a tiger at home. Out of 57 Tests that Ashwin has played till now, 22 were abroad and his average deteriorates from the overall figure of 25.56 to 31.67 in away games. The strike rate too turns worse (53.10 to 60.41) as does the run rate (2.88 to 3.14).

Ashwin has managed just six 5-wicket hauls in away games since 2011 compared to his overall tally of 26 and only 91 of his 311 wickets have come on foreign soil. Anil Kumble, India’s highest wicket-taker in Tests also has some similar gaps between his Test figures at home and abroad but Ashwin must remember that more talents in spin bowling have emerged over the last few years, unlike what was the scenario during Kumble’s time. His place as a leading bowler could be under a serious challenge following the rise of the likes of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.

4. Parthiv Patel

An in and out of the Indian team over the years, Parthiv Patel has failed to come of age as a reliable wicketkeeper even though he kept well in the Johannesburg Test. But his butter fingers were definitely one of the factors that cost India the second Test in Centurion and there is no guarantee that it would not happen again in the future, especially as he is not getting any younger.

Patel had missed a golden opportunity to stump Steve Waugh in his final Test in Sydney 15 years ago, denying India a chance to win a rare series Down Under, drawing harsh criticism from various quarters. If the man is committing same mistakes after a decade and a half, one would say India need a better replacement though that cannot be Dinesh Karthik.

The 32-year-old is also known for his gritty temperament, not shying away from opening the innings even after long keeping and against fierce fast bowlers. He opened in the second innings of the third Test in Johannesburg though overall, could gather 56 runs in four innings after replacing the injured Wriddhiman Saha. Thank you, Patel for being a team man but you are not consistent enough to continue in Tests abroad.

5. Hardik Pandya

Well, Hardik Pandya is still a newcomer in Tests (six games so far) and the young and dashing talent requires a fair amount of time to prove his worth in the longest format. But having given the man the benefit of doubt, we also would like to remind Pandya that Test cricket involves the application of common sense and as long as that doesn’t happen, even the most sensational talent can mean fail miserably.

Pandya made a great start to the Test series in South Africa, hitting a 93 in Cape Town to give his team’s score some respectability. He also took some important wickets in that Test although India did not win it. But the 24-year-old’s batting earned a fair criticism in the subsequent games because he did not care to apply a sound judgment. He went wicketless, ran himself out casually and hit irresponsible shots, earning criticism from former greats like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev.

The all-rounder is a great talent but if he wants to grow himself up as a successful Test cricketer, he must know how to be patient and adjusting. Many have already started comparing Pandya with the great Kapil Dev which is illogical at the moment. Pandya must learn the nuances of Test cricket first and be consistent on foreign soil and not ruin his chances and eventually get written off.