South Africa vs India: ODI series defeat good learning for us, says captain KL Rahul

India tour of South Africa: KL Rahul defended India's body language, saying their energy level was alright during the 7-wicket loss in the 2nd ODI in Paarl on Friday.

India captain KL Rahul said on Friday that the ODI series defeat in South Africa is good learning for the visitors. The stand-in captain conceded that India have been making too many mistakes but stressed that India, a team that take pride in winning, will look to bounce back strong.

Rahul's comments came after India were hammered by 7 runs in the 2nd ODI of a 3-match series in South Africa. The former world champions have conceded the series to Temba Bavuma-led South Africa after two ordinary performances in Paarl.

South Africa vs India, 2nd ODI: Highlights

KL Rahul has lost his first 2 ODIs as captain but the Karnataka star believes that there is enough room for improvement in the 50-over format. While India failed to defend 287 in the 2nd ODI on Friday, they failed to chase down 297, falling short of the target by 31 runs.

"I think they are playing some really good cricket at home, we are making mistakes as well in the middle. It's a good learning for us. We are a team that takes a lot of pride in winning, but good learning for us and hopefully we can grow. We are trying to get better at things we haven't done well in the past," KL Rahul said on Friday.

Rahul defends India's body language in 2nd ODI

Questions were asked if India lacked a bit of energy on the field in the ODI series as they looked deflated when South Africa batters were making merry in Paarl. However, Rahul played down concerns, saying India tried to be upbeat despite the hot weather in the South African city.