Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik feels India pacer Mohammed Shami‘s harm has proved to be an enormous setback for the workforce within the ongoing first Test in opposition to South Africa in Centurion. Dean Elgar led South Africa’s cost after India had been bowled out for 245 within the first innings. Elgar scored 185 because the Indian pacers struggled to choose wickets at common intervals, permitting South Africa to take a sizeable lead within the first innings. Shami was dominated out of the two-match sequence as a result of an ankle harm.

“The man has grown in stature as a bowler and as a leader of the pack. He is an able lieutenant to Jasprit Bumrah. You can imagine with the upright seam on this kind of pitch. I promise you, he would have definitely gotten a few wickets. The Indian team really misses him,” Karthik mentioned on Cricbuzz.

Karthik additionally steered that Bumrah and Siraj didn’t get sufficient help from debutant pacer Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur, who had been fairly costly within the first innings.

“Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna going for close to 118 runs in their 27 overs. On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj going for just 111 in their 31 overs. Siraj was a tad bit expensive, especially in the last spell, they also bowled some brilliant balls. You could see every time they were on, you got the feeling that they could get you a wicket or two. Whereas with Shardul or Prasidh, you had to wait for a batter to make a mistake,” he added.

Elgar missed out on a double century as Shardul Thakur obtained the higher of him earlier than Lunch on Day 3.

For India, KL Rahul had earlier flexed his batting muscle groups within the guests’ middle-order as he scored 101 out of their whole of 245, hitting 14 fours and 4 sixes.

India are looking for a primary sequence win in South Africa.