#TFGtake - Why India's defeat in the first Test at Cape Town isn't surprising

One more tour to South Africa. One more defeat in the opening Test. Once again, India have started off their overseas campaign on a losing note. Plenty was said and written by the Indian media on how this team captained by Virat Kohli had the ability to upset the Proteas and create history in South Africa. While it might still happen, the beginning is far from encouraging. Simply put, nothing much has changed with time. 

Sure, unlike previous years, the Indian team didn't succumb to a massive defeat or even fell short of competing with the hosts. But the manner in which the tourists approached the achievable run-chase on the fourth day has become the talking point in the cricketing fraternity. 

As it was billed and rightly predicted by several former cricketers, the current Indian pace department produced some fine spells of fast bowling and set the game up for the batsmen. Unfortuately, the big guns with the willow couldn't get the job done as India once again lost a Test match that so easily could have been theirs. 

While we understand the scoreline can't be reversed now, we highlight a few reasons on how India could have approached this opening Test differently.