Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Proteas feel the pain in Pune
Kohli sets records on day two
THIS tour of India always had the potential to turn ugly for the Proteas. Yesterday in the sweltering heat of Pune it became extremely ugly.
All the rich promise and high hopes of only five days ago have been plundered into the red dirt. At the heartbeat of all the punishment being handed out was none other than India’s supreme captain Virat Kohli.
The home team skipper is at the height of his powers. He is in charge of a team that is worth every ounce of their World No 1 ranking and his batting form is arguably only eclipsed by Ashes hero Steve Smith.
Even Smith though was left behind when Kohli went past the Australian to his seventh double-century – the only Indian batsman to achieve this feat – whilst becoming the fourth fastest ever to 7000 Test runs.
Kohli pierces the heart of his opponents like no other. He doesn’t mow them down with savage cuts and pulls, but rather graciously torments with delectable straight and square drives. There was plenty to savour during his career-best 254 not out, and along with Ravindra Jadeja’s 91 and Ajinkya Rahane (59 off 168 balls), it propelled India to 601/5 declared.
South Africa had been knocked down. And they are not likely to get up again after losing three wickets including both openers for only 36 runs before stumps were drawn on day two.
Captain Faf du Plessis will certainly need to replicate – or at least come close to – matching his counterpart if the Proteas are to save this Test and the series. The Proteas are in desperate need for their captain to lead from the front after suffering a diabolical day in the field.
It has been a tough last few months for Du Plessis. The World Cup debacle took its toll, which was followed by a host of high-quality retirements, and he has now been left with a squad that is not only bereft of quality but also discipline.
Rookie all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy delivered five inexcusable no-balls, with further insult to injury being that Kohli actually edged one of them to Du Plessis at slip only for him to be called back to the crease after television replays highlighted the indiscretion.
If that was the icing, the cake was certainly made up of several dropped catches, regular misfields, overthrows, and general lack of spirit, enterprise and skill.
It was inevitable that something had to crack and it duly did when wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada were involved in a heated argument that required Du Plessis to intervene.
If ever Du Plessis had been feeling that he was in charge of a group of petulant children, it would have been at that particular moment.
Proteas coach Enoch Nkwe was certainly not pulling any punches after the day’s play before paying tribute to India’s master batsman Kohli.
“We’ve got ourselves to blame‚” Nkwe said. “This morning’s conditions were conducive to seam bowling and we didn’t hit our straps. We bowled too wide and we didn’t test the batters enough. We let ourselves down.
“He (Kohli) is a world-class player. Credit to him today, in terms of how they went about their business. Obviously, he led by example and it was a great knock from him. It was superb to watch.”