India need to get basics right in order to win away: Manoj Prabhakar

Kolkata, Jan 20 - Scathing in his criticism about India's poor show in South Africa, former India all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar on Saturday said the struggling tourists need to bat and bowl well in the first 20 overs of an innings if

India's much-vaunted batting line-up crumbled against South African pace attack, both times chasing sub-300 targets in two tests. They now trail the three-match series 0-2. The third Test is to begin in Johannesburg from January 24.

Asked what is the remedy ahead of the Johannesburg rubber, Prabhakar said: "Remedy is opener bowlers and opening batsmen have to do well if you want to win a Test. Ravi Shastri (India coach) cannot teach how to leave the ball."

Prabhakar was also asked about Rahane's exclusion and the team management picking Rohit Sharma ahead of the technically sound right-hander, who has an enviable record away, going by form in white-ball cricket.

"This is a shame if you start picking Test team based on T20I and ODI form. Can you play Rishabh Pant in Tests? No. Rahane should play," he said.

On Hardik Pandya's comparison with all-time great Kapil Dev, Prabhakar said his ex-teammate is right when he says not to compare Pandya with him.

"Kapil is right when he says don't compare me with Hardik. The basic needs to be right first. Kapil's basic was always strong," he said.

Pandya copped a lot of flak after getting run out in school-boyish manner in the first innings of the second Test.

Finally, Prabhakar predicted India would continue struggling when they tour England later this year as the ball would seam more there.

"If (James) Anderson plays, there is more trouble. But if India don't improve drastically, the results will be worse in England. The ball seams a lot more there and India will be in trouble," he said.

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IANS