Ian Chappell reveals what made SA vs IND series a hit and Ashes flop

South Africa scripted a perfect comeback in their recent series against India. The Proteas managed to defeat India 2-1 even after losing the first Test of the series. At the end of the series, South African emerged as a better team. Before the start of the series, no one gave South Africa a chance in the series due to their inexperienced lineup.

Also, they lost the services of Quinton de Kock after the left-handed wicketkeeper decided to quit Test cricket on an immediate basis.

Keegan Petersen played a vital role during the third Test as he went to score a half-century in both innings. Petersen won the Player of the Match award for his performance in the last Test and also won the Player of the Series award for being the top run-scorer.

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell lauded Petersen’s efforts in the series. He went on to give a pat on the back of the selectors who decided to give a chance to Petersen. Petersen made his Test debut against West Indies in June 2021 and played just two matches before the series against India. 

"Petersen is in his prime, at 28, but he has only played five Tests. Despite lacking experience, he has all the requirements of a Test No. 3, including a wide range of shots that he is prepared to play, plus a solid defence. So why is he only playing now? Sometimes players deserve an opportunity on potential and temperament alone and this is where good selection stands out," said Chappell in his column for ESPNcricinfo.

"There's often a temptation to choose gritty players and there are times when this can be a wise selection. On the other hand, fans expect to see a few aggressive young players selected, and when these players come off, they provide great entertainment," he added.

"A good Test selector is capable of including both considerations in his choices and that is why they are highly regarded. When it comes to financial rewards, cricket should start valuing selection more highly than coaching; it would make a pleasant and worthwhile change," said Chappell.

Chappell further added that South Africa managed to surprise India but the series was not a one-sided affair, as was the case in Ashes, where England lost four of the five games.

"South Africa surprisingly defeated India in an old-fashioned dogfight that included some enthralling cricket. It also involved ample emotion of the sort that has notably been missing from an Ashes contest that has been surprisingly uncontroversial so far. The South Africa series featured bowling domination on pitches that were probably too much in favour of the fielding side, but there was also some exquisite batting," Chappell wrote.