PANDYA STANDS TALL
Allrounder’s 93 and stand with Bhuvneshwar rallies India on Day 2
Hardik Pandya hit 93 to lead India’s counterattack against South Africa on Day 2 of the Cape Town Test. The hosts were 65/2 at stumps, leading by 142 runs.
CAPE TOWN: Hardik Pandya reaffirmed his growing stature as an all-rounder with an unorthodox 95-ball 93 to save India embarrassment in the first Test against South Africa on Saturday.
India still folded for 209 in their first innings but Pandya then claimed openers Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar, restricting South Africa to 65/2 at stumps on Day 2.
South Africa have an overall lead of 142 but could have had more had it not been for Pandya’s resuscitating knock in a 99-run eighth-wicket stand with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (25). His knock could draw comparisons with some of Kapil Dev’s innings. On a day when the World Cup-winning skipper turned 59, India seemed to have finally found a successor.
It may still not help save this Test. But at least India seem to have a player who doesn’t worry about reputation, opponents or conditions. Nothing else explains Pandya’s stunning advance down the pitch to Vernon Philander, who was in scorching form after snaring Cheteshwar Pujara first ball after lunch.
Till Pandya stepped up, India were under the pump, crawling through a probing morning session that produced just 48 runs in 25 overs with 11 maidens.
Dale Steyn was taking regular aim at the body while Philander bowled five consecutive maidens. The beauty of this ferocious South African bowling attack is it didn’t let up on the pressure even after Steyn hobbled off due to a heel problem.
When Steyn and Philander were finally done piling on the misery, Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada took over. Rohit displayed uncharacteristic patience but Rabada beat him for pace to trap him leg before.
Soon after Pujara’s dismissal, R Ashwin poked at a Philander delivery. Wriddhiman Saha then shouldered arms to a Steyn delivery that nipped back and struck his back pad, prompting Pandya to throw caution to the wind.
His was not a chanceless innings though. Steyn appeal for caught behind was upheld but so confident was Pandya that it had only hit his back thigh he instantly reviewed it. This was after Elgar had dropped Pandya at gully, again off Steyn. By the time Quinton de Kock missed a stumping in left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj’s first over, Pandya was in rampage mode.
First picking Philander by scoring three boundaries, Pandya then focused on Morne Morkel, off whom he also brought up his fifty with a boundary through mid-off.
With Bhuvneshwar Kumar ably holding one end up, Pandya went about scoring quick runs. By the time Pandya fell to an attempted ramp shot, India were one short of 200.