Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi is not at all surprised with the current team’s surrender in South Africa as he feels Virat Kohli’s men went into the series without serious preparation and “wasted time” playing against Sri Lanka. The 135-run defeat in Centurion today ended India’s nine-Test series winning run as South Africa took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match rubber.
India had hammered Sri Lanka in a full series at home before departing for South Africa. The series was arranged within three months of the away assignment in Sri Lanka where India blanked the hosts. When asked about India’s preparation for South Africa tour, Bedi came up with a stinging response.
“There was no preparation. We wasted our time with the Sri Lankans. There was no sense in playing a weak team for one and a half month when we should be preparing for South Africa. It was supposed to be a tough tour and it required intense preparation. You beat Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka and you then call them to India, for what? The Indian cricketers would have been better off playing domestic cricket or preparing themselves exclusively for the tour,” said the spin great, Bedi.
India went into the series without playing a warm-up match.
