Proteas chase series victory
Dangerously placed visitors have to do battle without Kohli
INDIA were stuttering out of the blocks at close of play on the fourth day of the second test against South Africa where they are faced with the challenging task of achieving the highest successful run chase in Centurion. When umpires called stumps yesterday, India were sitting dangerously on 35/3, needing a further 252 runs to win, something they must do without their captain Virat Kohli, who was bullied by the sensational Lungi Ngidi and only scored five runs.
Under the pressure of the scoreboard, India lost openers Murali Vijay and KL Rahul in quick succession from the bowling of Kagiso Rabada and Ngidi respectively, and later Kohli, to be left with lots to do to square the series at 1-1.
If they somehow manage to claw their way back into the match and beat South Africa on the final day today, the third and final match in Johannesburg next Wednesday will a mouthwatering decider.
India still have capable batsmen like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin and the rest of the tail made up of Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, but the odds are heavily stacked against them.
The Proteas got the breakthrough just before 5pm when Rabada bowled out Vijay for just nine runs with a low-bounce delivery that got an inside edge before crushing his leg stump with Cheteshwar Pujara arriving at the crease.
It was not long before India lost the second wicket as Rahul punched the ball straight to point from where Kashav Maharaj claimed a good catch from the bowling of Ngidi for his second wicket at this level.
Ngidi was not finished as, a few overs later, he got the prized wicket of Kohli when he trapped him for lbw in a moment that will surely have a huge impact on the match.
South Africa started the defence of their total with the bad news that opener Aiden Markram would not be fielding as a result of a left quadricep strain which needs rehabilitation.
The injury means he is in doubt for the third test at the Wanderers next week. Markram was replaced by Theunis de Bruyn. South Africa started the day on 90/2 and 118 runs ahead with AB De Villiers unbeaten on 50 off 78 and Dean Elgar on 36 off 78, but went on to be bowled out for 258 and an overall lead of 286. In the first session, South Africa lost the three wickets of De Villiers (80), Elgar (61) and Quinton de Kock (12), with Indian fast bowler Shami the destroyer in chief as the Proteas went to lunch sitting on 163/5 and a lead of 201 runs.
In this session, De Villiers and Elgar managed a valuable partnership of 141 as they started to rebuild the innings which had South Africa in a spot of bother after they cheaply lost Markram and Hashim Amla.
In the second session, it was the turn of Ishant Sharma to wreak havoc with the South African middle order as he claimed the wickets of Vernon Philander (26) and Maharaj (6) for South Africa to go to tea having scored 230/7 and a lead 258.
India finished off the South African batting lineup in the early stages of the third session with Rabada (4), skipper Faf du Plessis (48) and Ngidi (1) falling to the bowling of Shami, Bumrah and Ashwin respectively.