SA vs IND: Kohli Classic
The former made batting look easy on an increasingly difficult track and in doing so, put on 57 runs for the third wicket with Elgar.
Centurion: India captain Virat Kohli blazed a magnificent century, but South Africa hold the upper hand as they reached 90/2 in their second innings on a difficult wicket after rain and then bad light curtailed Day Three of the second Test on Monday.
The home side lead by 118 runs having bowled India out for 307 after lunch, despite a classy 153 from Kohli, who played almost a lone hand in scoring half his side’s runs.
AB de Villiers (50 not out) has taken the attack to the Indian bowlers after South Africa had sunk to 3/2 in their second innings on a wicket that is more Pune than Pretoria, with variable bounce and taking massive turn for the spinners. de Villiers will resume on day four with opener Dean Elgar (36 not out), who has battled for rhythm but hung around in an unbeaten third wicket partnership of 87.
Earlier, pacer Jasprit Bumrah produced a fiery spell to strike a double blow before AB de Villiers steadied the South Africa ship, leaving the hosts with a 88-run lead at tea.
Bumrah took 2-19 as South Africa were reduced to 60/2 in their second innings. The hosts lead by an overall 88 runs after India were bowled out for 307 (92.1 overs) in their first innings, thus conceding a 28-run deficit.
Bumrah bowled a wonderful spell with the new ball even as the Supersport Park pitch started keeping low. He accounted for both Aiden Markram (1) and Hashim Amla (1) in the space of three overs as South Africa were reduced to three for two in the sixth over.
R. Ashwin (0/26) had opened the bowling while Ishant Sharma (0/14) came in as first change. At the break, de Villiers was batting on 33 not out (42 balls, 5x4) while Dean Elgar was giving him company on 23 runs. The former made batting look easy on an increasingly difficult track and in doing so, put on 57 runs for the third wicket with Elgar.
This was after Virat Kohli scored 153 runs (217 balls, 15 fours) to keep India in the game. Post lunch, he tried to shield Ishant Sharma (3) and their partnership for the ninth wicket lasted nearly nine overs during which they put up 25 runs. But Morne Morkel (4/60) accounted for Ishant off a short ball in the 91st over and then two overs later Kohli was last man out, caught at long on.
Before lunch, Kohli struck his 21st hundred as India reached 287/8 Starting from overnight 183/5, he and Hardik Pandya (15) took their overnight sixth wicket partnership to 45 runs. In doing so, they helped India cross 200 in the 65th over.
Kohli then reached his hundred off 146 balls, inclusive of 10 fours. He became the first overseas captain to score a Test hundred at Centurion. The previous highest for a visiting captain at this ground was 90 by M.S. Dhoni in 2010.
Additionally, he became only the second Indian skipper to score a Test hundred on South African soil, after Sachin Tendulkar at Cape Town in 1997. This was Kohli’s second Test hundred in South Africa, the second-most after Tendulkar who has five Test hundreds here.
However, Kohli’s joy was cut short as another suicidal moment of running between the wickets gifted South Africa a breakthrough, as Pandya was run-out for not running his bat in.
He had set off for a run in the 68th over, only for Kohli to send him back but Philander’s throw from mid-on beat him by inches as Pandya didn’t ground his bat or even his feet.
SCORECARD
South Africa (1st innings): 335
India (1st innings, o/n 183/5): Murali Vijay c de Kock b Maharaj 46, Lokesh Rahul c&b Morne Morkel 10, Cheteshwar Pujara run out (Lungi Ngidi) 0, Virat Kohli de Villiers b Morne Morkel 153, Rohit Sharma lbw b Rabada 10, Parthiv Patel c de Kock b Lungi Ngidi 19, Hardik Pandya run out (Philander) 15, R. Ashwin c du Plessis b Philander 38, Mohammed Shami c Amla b Morne Morkel 1, Ishant Sharma c Markram b Morne Morkel 3, Jasprit Bumrah (not out 0). Extras: (b8, lb1, w2, nb1) 12. Total: (in 92.1 overs) 307. FoW: 1-28, 2-28, 3-107, 4-132, 5-164, 6-209, 7-280, 8-281, 9-306.
Bowling: Maharaj 20-1-67-1, Morkel 22.1-5-60-4 (1w, 1nb), Philander 16-3-46-1, Rabada 20-1-74-1, Ngidi 14-2-51-1 (1w).
South Africa (2nd innings): A. Markram lbw b Bumrah 1, D. Elgar (batting) 36, H. Amla lbw b Bumrah 1, AB de Villiers (batting) 50. Extras: (lb 1, w 1) 2. Total: (for 2 wkts, in 29 overs) 90. FoW: 1-1, 2-3.
Bowling: Ashwin 12-0-33-0, Bumrah 8-2-30-2 (1w), Sharma 4-0-14-0, Shami 5-1-12-0.