Six of the best for big Vern
Philander leads Proteas to stunning win with day to spare
LED by Vernon Philander’s brilliance‚ South Africa’s pace attack ripped through India’s batting lineup to clinch a stunning victory in the first test at Newlands yesterday. Despite the removal of Dale Steyn from the equation by injury‚ South Africa defended a target of 209 to win by 72 runs with more than a day to spare – that after the entire third day was lost to rain.
India were under no pressure to score quickly when their second innings started immediately after lunch.
But tigerish bowling by Philander‚ who claimed a career-best 6/42 – three of them in what became the last over of the match – kept the balance tilted in the home side’s favour.
Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada also threatened consistently on a pitch that offered seamers assistance throughout‚ and together they sent India packing for 135 just more than an hour after tea.
Only four times have teams successfully chased targets of more than 200 in tests at Newlands‚ all of them in the past 11 years.
But the Indians never threatened seriously to add their names to that honour role.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar ground out a partnership of 49 in 56 minutes and off 79 deliveries for the seventh wicket‚ India’s biggest stand of the innings‚ but by then the sting had all but been drawn from the contest.
Hardik Pandya hammered 93 with gusto in the first innings‚ but yesterday he was gone for a single when he edged Rabada to gully.
Rabada struck again with what became the last ball before tea‚ removing Wriddhiman Saha leg-before.
Ashwin and Jasprit Kumar stood firm until the 14th over after tea‚ when Quinton de Kock‚ standing up to Philander‚ held Ashwin’s slashing edge to remove him for India’s best effort: 37.
Two deliveries later edged to second slip‚ as did Bumrah with the next ball – which Faf du Plessis dived forward to catch.
Meanwhile, uncapped Lungi Ngidi has been added to South Africa’s squad for the second test against India in Centurion.
Duanne Olivier has also been added to the mix in the wake of Steyn being ruled out of the rest of the series after sustaining a heel injury while bowling on Saturday.
“I really felt for him because he’d done a lot of hard work to get back to where he was‚” South Africa coach Ottis Gibson said.
Steyn will be sidelined for up to six weeks‚ and could get a crack at taking the three wickets he needs to overhaul Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s champion test bowler when the series against Australia starts at Kingsmead on March 1.
As sad as that is for Steyn‚ the pre-eminent fast bowler of the age‚ it is exciting that a talent like Ngidi has cracked the nod.
“I’ve heard a lot of really good things about him‚ and when we get to Pretoria for preparation he’ll be there with us‚” Gibson said about the Titans fast bowler.
Ngidi‚ just 21‚ has played only nine first-class matches but has already claimed three five-wicket hauls among his 31 scalps.
He played three T20s for South Africa against Sri Lanka in January‚ and impressed by removing the Lankans’ entire top four for 19 runs.
Olivier has played five tests‚ most recently against Bangladesh.