HARDIK PANDYA STANDS TALL AMID RUINS
SCORES 93 AS HOSTS S AFRICA DISMISS INDIA FOR 209 ON DAY 2
CAPE TOWN: All-rounder Hardik Pandya cranked up India’s scoring with a 68-ball 81 to carry the struggling visitors to 185/7 at tea on the second day of the first Test at Newlands on Saturday.
(At the time of going to Press, India were all out for 209, giving SA a lead on 77. Pandya scored 93)
The chance of overhauling South Africa’s first innings 286 was still dim, but India had reached a far better position than they were at lunch. Only 48 runs were scored from 25 overs in the first session for the loss of Rohit Sharma’s wicket. But Cheteshwar Pujara fell first ball after lunch when he chased a seaming delivery from the disciplined Vernon Philander. Out came Pandya, who didn’t care much to defend, making intentions clear by walking down the pitch to Philander the very first ball.
Though his leading edge flew through cover for four, Pandya set the tone for the session by not holding back on his shots. Dale Steyn claimed a caught behind but so confident was Pandya that it had gone off his back thigh he successfully reviewed it. This was after Dean Elgar had dropped Pandya at gully, again off Steyn. Pandya tried to punch a short delivery, but got a huge edge that flew to Elgar, who dropped it.
Wriddhiman Saha though was hoping against hope with his review, after shouldering arms to a Steyn delivery that nipped back to hit him plumb in front. With India quickly losing wickets, Pandya had no reason to linger.
Picking Philander to score three boundaries in the 43rd over, Pandya then directed his focus on Morne Morkel, off whom he brought up his second fifty with a boundary through mid-off. Quinton de Kock missed Pandya’s stumping in left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj’s first over, adding to South Africa’s frustration.
With Bhuvneshwar Kumar ably holding one end up, Pandya went on a calculated attack, showing there was no demon in the pitch and it was best suited for batting after lunch.
Normalcy was restored after a frenetic first day that saw 13 wickets tumble with Pujara and Rohit grinding out the relentless South African pace battery in the first hour. In 13 overs, India scored just 17 runs. The first runs of the morning came from Rohit’s bat, after four maiden overs. At one time, Philander had figures of 5-50-0. Steyn often varied his length, attacking Pujara’s ribcage and testing him with bouncers. Philander, however, was accuracy redefined, hitting a fuller length on a fourth stump line you had to play, but with the heart in the mouth.
With Kagiso Rabada trapping him leg-before, Rohit had to depart before being able to reap the effort put in the first hour. Rabada was too quick for Rohit, seaming a ball into him that he completely missed.