Ngidi six-for gives South Africa unassailable 2-0 series lead

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Lungi Ngidi’s dream debut was the stuff of Indian nightmares. Set 287 to win the previous afternoon at Supersport Park in Centurion, India had already had the stuffing knocked out of their innings by the loss of captain Virat Kohli before stumps. What followed on the final day was a procession, with Ngidi again the wrecker-in-chief. He finished with 6/39 as India were knocked over for 151 to lose by 135 runs. South Africa thus took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.

India contributed in full measure to their capitulation, with Cheteshwar Pujara run out for the second time in the match – only the 25th batsman to rack up such a dubious accolade. He had added eight to his overnight score of 11 when Parthiv Patel guided a ball from Vernon Philander past gully. Ngidi ran around to stop it even as AB de Villiers chased it down from third slip. Ngidi deflected the ball to de Villiers, and his throw to Quinton de Kock caught Pujara on the line.

Parthiv played some feisty strokes, and when Kagiso Rabada dropped one short, he went for the hook over fine leg. Morne Morkel ran to his right and then threw himself full length to complete an unbelievable two-handed catch. With Parthiv gone for 19 and the scoreboard showing 65 for 5, both teams knew it was only a matter of time.

Hardik Pandya played the ramp shot over keeper and slips with considerable success, and luck, in Cape Town. Here, his attempt to play it off Ngidi went off the top edge to de Kock behind the stumps. Soon after, Ngidi added the wicket of Ravichandran Ashwin, who flirted with a ball in the off-stump channel and edged behind.

With the game all but gone, Mohammed Shami and Rohit Sharma batted with freedom. Shami threw his bat at everything, while Rohit struck six fours and a six over long-on off Keshav Maharaj as they added 54 in just 10.1 overs. But such a chancy approach wasn’t going to last, and when Rabada, from round the wicket, bounced him, Rohit’s swivel pull was brilliantly taken by de Villiers at fine leg. He made 47.

Shami’s 28 spanned just 24 balls, and ended when he tried to smash Ngidi straight down the ground. The ball went as far as mid-on. In what had been a debut to remember, Ngidi had his first five-wicket haul. And when Jasprit Bumrah popped one up to short cover, he became only the seventh South African to take six wickets or more on debut.