Wanderers pitch drama mars Test
PLAY CALLED OFF SHORTLY BEFORE SCHEDULED CLOSE ON THE THIRD DAY
Both captains were called into a meeting with match referee and the umpires.
They may yet avoid defeat in the third Test when play resumes on today, but South Africa have certainly lost the moral high ground as play was sensationally suspended due to a dangerous pitch on the third day against India at the Wanderers yesterday.
The day had begun with the match on a knife-edge, India resuming on 49/1 in their second innings, leading by 42. It ended with India having seized the initiative with one of their bravest batting displays, having made it to 247 thanks largely to two players who were making their return to the team – Ajinkya Rahane (48) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (33).
And of course there was the inevitable touch of genius from Indian captain Virat Kohli who scored 41 as the Proteas properly lost the plot in the field.
Their bowling was woeful on such a helpful surface and they also dropped each of India’s top run-scorers.
By the time the umpires controversially took the players off the field, Dean Elgar being hit straight in the grille of his helmet by a delivery that was just an ordinary short-pitched bouncer, South Africa, chasing 241 for victory, had lost Aiden Markram (4) while scoring 17 runs.
“I have to say we were disappointing today. India utilised the conditions better, they made us play a lot more, they’ve had the upper hand from the first day and they deserve to be in the position they’re in,” Proteas coach Ottis Gibson said after play was halted.
Having made the huge call to stop play 20 minutes before the close, it seemed probable that the Wanderers would become only the second venue in the history of Test cricket to have a match abandoned due to the pitch.
That may still happen today but India have made it clear that they want to continue, and why shouldn’t they, having admirably withstood everything that jagged, leapt from a length or otherwise misbehaved on the lousy surface.
“We view it that the pitch has stayed the same and today saw the least number of wickets fall and the highest batting strike-rate. So we would like to continue. The ball that hit Elgar was a normal ball, there is always exaggerated bounce on this pitch.
“Nobody asks about South Africa bowling around the wicket and aiming at the heads of batsmen nine to 11. But we have the bowling arsenal to give it back,” Indian team manager Sunil Subramaniam said.
South Africa’s position was that they would continue as long as the officials did not deem the pitch to be dangerous, and now that play will continue, with the pitch inevitably deteriorating further, they face trying to avoid defeat.
“We’re here to play cricket and we still want to, but the decision rests on player safety and has to be made by the officials. Once that decision is made, that’s it, the batsmen will have to go out and try and do their best,” Gibson said before match referee Andy Pycroft decided the Test will continue.