INDIAN QUICKS SHINE IN WANDERERS TEST
Newcomer caps superb response on seaming track, India 42 runs ahead at close
JOHANNESBURG: A seven-run firstinnings lead is probably the best indicator of the thin difference between India and South Africa on a seaming, bouncy Wanderers pitch in the third Test.
Taking a cue from Cheteshwar Pujara, Hashim Amla junked class for survival and helped South Africa stay alive, with cameos from nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander. But this Test is too close for call with three days to go after Murali Vijay and KL Rahul --- who came in after Parthiv Patel was asked to open --- took India 42 runs ahead at stumps.
Like India, only three South Africa batsmen reached double figures in the first innings. The most orthodox batsman, like Pujara, never looked settled despite facing 121 deliveries. Some shocking shots were played but the batsmen probably can argue that they didn’t know how the pitch would behave. It was pure joy for genuine seam bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah who would love to carry this pitch everywhere they go.
Especially Bumrah, who bagged his maiden five-wicket haul and provided the support Bhuvneshwar needed after dismissing opener Dean Elgar and AB de Villiers. Bumrah’s enterprise also allowed India to mask a somewhat inconsistent bowling that didn’t lure South Africa enough with fuller deliveries in the right channel.
Amla rode his luck and India’s misery with the review system to score 61, but Bumrah dismissed him with a delivery on leg stump that he didn’t look to keep down. That triggered a slide that saw South Africa lose their last four wickets for 26 runs.
They seemed to have taken control of the situation in the morning when Elgar and nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada almost saw out the first hour. Elgar fell to an unplayable delivery from Bhuvneshwar but Rabada tried his best to play spoilsport. By the time he had spent an hour, Rabada was confident enough to even square drive Mohammed Shami for four. Entertaining as his innings was, it came to an end minutes before lunch when Ajinkya Rahane held on to a sharp edge off Bhuvneshwar.
South Africa raised 23 runs in the first hour but 52 came in the next, showing the pitch had eased out a touch. Amla though was ready to bide time. It worked in India’s favour as 62 runs were scored in the mid-session though India were frustrated two reviews against Amla didn’t work. This was before Amla successfully reviewed a leg-before decision.
During this phase, Amla also got struck on his chest by an Ishant Sharma snorter. However, he was solid with technique, getting behind the line by moving across the stumps and standing at least a foot outside the crease.
India seemed to have missed out by not reviewing against AB de Villiers in the first over after lunch but Bhuvneshwar set him up with away-going deliveries before bowling him with one that came in sharply. Faf du Plessis’s attempts of repeating Centurion’s blockathon was nipped in the bud when he shouldered arms to Bumrah’s incoming delivery.