Senuran Muthusamy played a typical Test knock and looked solid from the word go. He applied himself and played the ball to the merit to get to his maiden Test ton. Kyle Verreynne scored 45 while Marco Jansen’s unbeaten 51 meant that South Africa raced past 400 and are now 428/7 in 137 overs. India are up against it at this stage and will have to bat out of their skins to make a match out of this.
Kyle Verreynne falls to Ravindra Jadeja; but South Africa march ahead in the match
Sunuran Muthusamy resumed proceedings alongside Kyle Verreynne for South Africa while Jasprit Bumrah had ball in hand for India. Muthusamy got himself a boundary by hitting the full toss around fourth stump to open the face of the bat and square drove it past the left of diving backward point for a boundary. Ravindra Jadeja took the ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a decent over.
Bumrah continued and Dhruv Jurel forced the Indian captain Pant to go for DRS caught behind but there was no bat involved as the review was burnt by India. But he bowled a probing maiden over. Jadeja continued as Verreynne got down on one knee and swept it firmly to deep backward square leg for a boundary. Bumrah continued and bowled a probing over. Jadeja continued and bowled another good over.
Washington Sundar came back into the attack and bowled a maiden over. Jadeja bowled another miserly over. Sundar continued and bowled another decent over. Jadeja finally got the breakthrough for India as he removed Verryenne for 45 off 122 balls with 5 fours to his name. Jadeja fired the ball one wide outside off-stump after seeing Verreynne stepping outside too early. The batter got beaten by the flight and failed to get anything on it as the ball was bowled too far outside off-stump.
Pant was up to the task and moved swiftly to his right to collect the ball cleanly behind the stumps and whipped off the bails. The umpire checked whether Pant collected the ball cleanly and it was a clean take. Marco Jansen came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Sundar continued and bowled a decent over. Jadeja continued as Jansen cleared his front leg and used the long leavers to tonk it over wide long-on for the maximum.
Sundar continued as Muthusamy took the attack to the bowler by getting down on one knee and played the slog sweep over long-on for the maximum. Jadeja continued as Jansen took the attack to him by getting down on one knee and went for the slog sweep and it came off the inner half of the blade as the ball raced away to the fence. Kuldeep Yadav came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. South Africa reached 360/7 in 126 overs when we all paused for the Drinks Break in the second session of play.
Senuran Muthusamy’s brilliant century powers South Africa well past 400
Ravindra Jadeja continued after the break as Jansen took him on by getting down on one knee and smoked it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Kuldeep Yadav continued from the other end as Muthusamy got down on one knee and reverse swept it away to deep third man for a boundary. Jansen then took Kuldeep as he danced down the track and used the long leavers and whacked it over long-on for the maximum.
Jasprit Bumrah came back into the attack as Jansen hit the low full toss outside the off-stump by driving it in the wide gap between cover and point for an easy boundary. The 50-run stand came up between Jansen and Muthusamy. Kuldeep continued as Jansen cleared his front leg and smoked it straight down the ground over long-on for the maximum.
Bumrah continued as Jansen belted him by clearing his front leg to hit down the ground for a boundary. Muthusamy got a top edge of a pull shot but the ball landed in front of Siraj at deep fine leg. Kuldeep continued as the 400 came up for South Africa in 131.2 overs. Bumrah continued and overstepped as well as wheels were falling off for India. Kuldeep continued as Muthusamy took the aerial route by getting down on one knee and nailed the slog sweep over deep midwicket for the maximum. Muthusamy hit Kuldeep for a boundary by glancing a ball on the pads to the fine leg fence.
Soon, Muthusamy reached his maiden Test ton off 192 balls with a brace off Siraj as he looked in control throughout the innings and scored a masterly ton. Muthusamy was on a roll as he slashed away by hanging back past the gully for a boundary. Washington Sundar came back into the attack as Jansen reached his 4th Test fifty in 53 balls.
Siraj came to bowl the final over before Lunch. He bowled too short into the wicket and didn’t trouble the batters at all. South Africa are 428/7 in 137 overs when the umpires called time for Lunch Break. Senuran Muthusamy is unbeaten on 107 off 203 balls while Marco Jansen is unbeaten on 51 off 57 balls. 21 extras have been given by the Indian bowlers so far.
A hard toil for the Indian bowlers yet again with Ravindra Jadeja getting the wicket. He now has 2 wickets to his name. The rest of the bowlers tried, but without any luck and remained without a wicket in the end.
What Lies Ahead In Evening Session
South Africa are in the box seat and in commanding position. Yes, they lost a wicket, but Senuran Muthusamy’s brilliant ton has put South Africa in pole position to complete the whitewash against India. India have to bat out of their skins but first pick the remaining 3 wickets. Whether South Africa declares or not, depends on the visitors. India up against it.
An interesting final session of Day 2 coming our way soon.
Also Read:Â IND vs SA: South Africa In Sturdy Position