Debutant Ngidi leads Proteas to series win

PRETORIA: Debutant Lungi Ngidi took six wickets as South Africa defeated India by 135 runs in the second Test in Pretoria on Wednesday and also win the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match contest.

Seamer Ngidi, 21, recorded figures of six for 39, his best in first class cricket, as South Africa bowled out India for 151 just before lunch. India are the top-ranked side in Test cricket according to the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings with South Africa second, though the Proteas will not be able to overhaul the sub-continent side even with a 3-0 series win.

The third Test starts at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on January 24. India resumed the final day on 35 for three chasing a victory target of 287, having been dealt a huge blow the evening before when Ngidi bagged the wicket of captain Virat Kohli (5).

Their slender hopes were dealt a further set-back when Cheteshwar Pujara (19) became the first Indian player ever to be run out twice in a Test.

Ngidi had a hand in that too as he chased the ball down to the boundary and stopped a four, with his cut-back to AB de Villiers allowing for a bullet throw to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock South Africa 1st innings: 335 (A. Markram 94, Hashim Amla 82; I. Sharma 3/46, R. Ashwin 4/113) India 1st innings: 307 (V. Kohli 153, M. Vijay 46; M. Morkel 4/60) South Africa 2nd innings: 258 (De Villiers 80, D. Elgar 61, Du Plessis 48; M. Shami 4/49, Jasprit Bumrah 3/70) M. Vijay b K. Rabada 9 L. Rahul c K. Maharaj b L. Ngidi 4 C. Pujara run out 19 V. Kohli lbw L. Ngidi 5 P. Patel c M. Morkel b K. Rabada 19 R. Sharma c De Villiers b K. Rabada 47 H. Pandya c Q. de Kock b L. Ngidi 6 R. Ashwin c Q. de Kock b L. Ngidi 3 M. Shami c M. Morkel b L. Ngidi 28 I. Sharma (not out) 4 J. Bumrah c V. Philander b L. Ngidi 2 Extras (b-4, w-1) 5 Total (all out, 50.2 overs) 151 Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-16, 3-26, 4-49, 5-65, 6-83, 7-87, 8-141, 9-145. Bowling: Vernon Philander 10-3-25-0; Kagiso Rabada 14-3-47-3; Lungi Ngidi 12.2-3-39-6; Morne Morkel 8-3-10-0; Keshav Maharaj 6-1-26-0. that saw Pujara short. Pujara had also been run out first ball in the first innings and has now been involved in six of India’s last eight run-outs in Tests. Full story @ timesofoman.com/sports