‘I am cursing myself… Captain KL Rahul’s pain after India’s defeat, reveals where the mistake happened’

India vs South Africa 2nd ODI Highlights: The visiting team registered a four-wicket victory in the second ODI played between India and South Africa in Raipur. With this win, they have levelled the series 1-1. Despite scoring 358 runs, captain KL Rahul attributed India's loss to the toss. He said, "It's really difficult to digest this loss, especially considering how much dew there was and how difficult it is to bowl in the second innings. The umpires changed the ball a few times, but still, the toss plays a huge role."

'I am cursing myself'

He added, "I am cursing myself for losing two consecutive tosses. There are always things we could have done better. I know a score of 350 looks good, but even after the last cricket match, the discussion in the dressing room was about how we could score an extra 20-25 runs to give the bowlers some cushion while bowling with a wet ball. The bowlers are trying their best, but there is still room for improvement. We also conceded some easy runs in the field."

Praises for Virat Kohli and Ruturaj

Rahul further stated, "If we focus on all three aspects of the game and become a little sharper, perhaps those 20-25 runs would have come our way. It was great to watch Ruturaj bat the way he did. We have seen Virat score 53 centuries. He keeps doing his job; we are accustomed to seeing that. Ruturaj faced the spinners and played the ball into the gaps. Once he crossed 50, the tempo at which he batted gave us those extra 20 runs. If the lower order had contributed a bit more and hit a few more boundaries, perhaps those 20 runs would have been there, making us happier."

'I felt it was the right time for me'

"Today, I came in at number 5. Given the tempo set by Virat and Ruturaj, I felt it was the right time for me to come in and continue that tempo. I scored a fifty in the last game and was feeling confident. Therefore, coming in at number 5 was better."