'If we talk of impact in batting, bowling, the way he was getting bounce and getting wickets.'
Former pacer Irfan Pathan expressed disappointment with India's series loss to South Africa at home, pointing out how in the battle of pacers, a young Marco Jansen came up trumps against the world's leading fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
A dominant South Africa trounced India by 408 runs in the second and final Test in Guwahati on Wednesday to complete a 2-0 series sweep. Chasing 549 runs, India were bowled out for 140 in their second innings on Day 5 to suffer their biggest defeat in a Test match and also their second whitewash at home in back to back years.
"It is very shameful how India have played at home against South Africa. This has been going on in the recent past. They lost poorly against New Zealand and now against South Africa. It never looked like you had the skill in both batting and bowling. Simon Harmer did the same thing that (Mitchell) Santner had done when New Zealand came," Pathan said on his YouTube Channel.
Off-spinner Harmer took 17 wickets in the two-match series as he ran through the Indian batting line-up in the second Test with a nine-wicket haul in the Guwahati.
"Our technique against spinners is very poor, and we have to improve it. Harmer went ahead of our spinners. He had a brilliant variation. South Africa defeated us at home, even with players like (Kagiso) Rabada (the pacer) not being there," he added.
He also pointed out how 25-year-old Jansen outperformed Bumrah with his impact in terms of batting, bowling and getting "bounce and wickets".
The South African pacer took 12 wickets in the two Tests at an average of 10.08 including a six-wicket haul in the first innings of the Guwahati Test after he had smashed a crucial 93 with the bat, while Bumrah managed eight wickets in the series.
"Jansen was way ahead of Bumrah. If we talk of impact in batting, bowling, the way he was getting bounce and getting wickets. Our fast bowlers, who we think are the best -- if we think Bumrah is the best, and if someone is going ahead of him in terms of wickets and impact then we are lagging," he said.
Pathan said that qualifying for the WTC final "looks extremely difficult" since India could have to win all their games, including away tours to Sri Lanka and New Zealand and a home series against Australia, all of which present their own challenges, mostly the spin challenge in Sri Lanka and at home. For this, Pathan said India will have to pick up batters from domestic cricket who can play spin well.
"You will have to award players who are doing well in domestic cricket and batting well against spin. If someone like Sarfaraz (Khan) is out, at least on pure cricketing reasons, it is beyond my understanding as to why such players are not in the team. You will have to bring them in. Otherwise, you will have clearly evident problems."
"You are playing five Tests against Australia at home next, against Sri Lanka away, you will get conditions where you will have to play spin well, and you need to prepare for it from now. Target players who play spin well, track their performances and give them more chances. Back them. Give them all the games and stability," he added.
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