Scorecard
years he spent toiling in the domestic circuit, awaiting for his big chance. Now that that chance is here, he is making it count. After a double hundred in the first Test, the hunger for runs was on display once again.
Scratchy to start with, Agarwal grew in confidence; so confident that when he was in the 90s he struck two sixes and a four to get to his hundred. In the press conference Pujara even called Agarwal’s style of play as ‘fearless’. “He is an experienced player who has scored so many first-class runs, which has helped him a lot and when it comes to being nervous in his 90s.”
The standout feature of Agarwal’s hundred was his frontfoot drives against Anrich Nortje. Off Nortje’s bowling, Agarwal creamed three fours in one over, the 15th of the innings. By lunch, Agarwal had collected seven boundaries from 80 balls.
When Nortje resorted to a barrage of bouncers, with three men behind the crease for the catch, Agarwal took him on with a hook shot for four to finish with 16 fours and two sixes.
KOHLI’S CONSISTENCY Most of all, it is Kohli’s own contributions with the bat which has helped the team to consistent success. When the captain came out to bat, it had grown overcast and the floodlights were on to make up for fading light.
Also, Rabada had his tail up and soon the South African spearhead ended the well-set Agarwal’s stay with India on 198. Kohli had a little bit of rebuilding to do. He dug in, playing an uncharacteristic innings in which he took 48 balls for his first four, which incidentally came off an overthrow. There was an uppish drive off spinner Keshav Maharaj (when batting on three), which had the fans in the stands gasping.
Usually a fluent bat, Kohli played against his grain with the responsibility of the main batsman of the team. He wasn’t in control when he brought up his second boundary either -- a hook off Nortje. But his third boundary, in Nortje’s following over, was a trademark Kohli pull, getting right on top of the bounce. From there on the runs flowed, until he wisely decided to take the offer of bad light. India walked off while Rabada was operating with the second new ball, and the over will be completed on Friday -- when Kohli will resume with better light and greater confidence, thanks to the 63 runs under his belt. Agarwal c du Plessis b Rabada
108 Sharma c de Kock b Rabada 14 Pujara c du Plessis b Rabada 58 Kohli batting 63 Rahane batting 18 Extras (lb 6, nb 6) 12 Total (3 wkts ; 85.1 ovs) 273 FOW: 1-25, 2-163, 3-198 Bowling: Philander 17-537-0, Rabada 18.1-2-48, Nortje 13-3-60-0, Maharaj 29-889-0, Muthusamy 6-1-22-0, Elgar 2-0-11-0