Kohli stands firm but South Africa have the edge
India’s sloppiness in the field allowed South Africa to stretch their first innings to 335, and they then gifted the hosts a wicket as the pendulum swung from one side to the other on an enthralling second day at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
Virat Kohli, India’s captain, had spoken prior to the game of the need to show intent, and he certainly walked the talk with a masterful unbeaten 85, but Murali Vijay (46) aside, there was precious little support. India ended the day on 183/5, still 152 behind, on a pitch where the first-innings lead looks likely to prove crucial.
On a surface where the ball didn’t zip around like it had in Cape Town, India’s new opening combination of Vijay and KL Rahul made a positive start, picking off the loose balls and preventing the field from closing in. But just as the dressing room was contemplating seeing off the new ball without damage, Morné Morkel struck. Rahul completely miscued a straight drive, and Morkel juggled the ball before holding on to leave India 28-1.
If that was bad, what followed was disastrous. Cheteshwar Pujara stroked his first ball, and set off. Lungi Ngidi, the debutant fielding at mid-on, picked up the ball and threw down the stumps, though he had only one to aim at. Pujara was more than a yard short.
Kohli arrived to a rapturous reception from the Indian support, and set about middling the ball right away. There were a couple of anxious moments as the ball whizzed past the outside edge, but once he got going with a cover drive and a pristine on-drive off Morkel, he looked like he meant business.
Both he and Vijay threaded the gap at mid-wicket when the bowlers strayed on to the pads, but the latter also had periods when he looked becalmed. Kohli was typically busy, with the flick and drive his favoured options against the four-man pace attack. When Keshav Maharaj came on, he played the odd cut too.
The pair took India to tea and beyond, with Kohli easing to a half-century from 68 balls. Vijay looked good to follow suit, but was undone by Maharaj’s plan to keep feeding his cut shot, eventually playing it one time too many. Quinton de Kock took a sharp catch behind the stumps.
The end of that 79-run partnership brought out the under-pressure Rohit Sharma. He struck two fours before Kagiso Rabada got one to come in with the angle and trap him lbw. Rohit was late on the shot, and though India reviewed the umpire’s decision, replays showed the ball just clipping the bails.
Ngidi, who had earlier bowled a fiery four-over spell, returned and almost had Kohli first ball. The South Africans went up in unison, but Paul Reiffel’s eagle eye had spotted the thinnest of inside edges on to the pad. For Ngidi, it was merely a case of celebration delayed. Parthiv Patel had made a sprightly 19 in quick time, but he had no answer to one from round the wicket that bounced and moved away. At 164/5, India once again had that sinking feeling.
That they had conceded 66 in the morning session was largely down to three dropped catches, all off the luckless Ravichandran Ashwin. Faf du Plessis and Maharaj started slowly, with the first four not struck till the seventh over of the morning. And Maharaj departed soon after, nicking one behind to give Mohammed Shami his 100th Test wicket.
Then, with Rabada on 1 and the score 289/7, Kohli put down a sharp chance to his right at slip. A ball later, Ashwin watched in disbelief as Rabada’s attempt to clear the infield was dropped by Hardik Pandya at point. Shami, running in from short third-man, clearly impeded his view.
Du Plessis then started to play his shots as the total went past 300, getting to his half-century off 127 balls. Soon after, Parthiv missed a chance as he feathered one behind off Ashwin. With the frustration levels mounting, Rabada finally slugged one to Pandya in the deep to give Ishant Sharma a second wicket.
He then knocked back du Plessis’s middle stump before Ashwin got some consolation for his morning’s work. Morkel’s attempt to clear the rope was well taken by Vijay at long-off, giving Ashwin figures of 4/113. Maharaj bowled the only over before lunch, but it was his pace-bowling teammates that took centre stage thereafter.
