It was another session dominated by South Africa this time with ball in hand. The Indian openers almost played through the first hour before Rahul fell to Maharaj. Things were going steady for India but Simon Harmer‘s double strike dented India with Jaiswal and Sudharsan falling and then Dhruv Jurel gave his wicket away to Jaiswal as India have been reduced to 102/4 and under serious pressure. They need to bat out of their skins to stay in the contest.
KL Rahul falls at the stroke of Drinks as India make steady progress in the first hour of play
KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal came out to resume for India while Marco Jansen had ball in hand to complete his over. Rahul scored the first runs of the day as he hit a perfect cover drive through the gap between point and cover for a boundary. Wiaan Mulder had ball in hand from the other end. Mulder bowled a decent first over. Jansen continued as Rahul played the short ball by rocking back and slashed hard through backward point for a boundary.
Mulder continued and overstepped but bowled a decent over. Jansen continued and bowled a decent over even as Rahul got a triple of him. Mulder continued with keeper coming upto the stumps. Jaiswal smoothly drove Mulder down the ground in the gap between mid-off and mid-on for a boundary. Jaiswal got into the act as he clipped Mulder behind square for a boundary. Jansen continued and bowled a maiden over.
We had a first change in bowling as Keshav Maharaj came into the attack. Maharaj bowled a decent first over. Double bowling change happened as Simon Harmer India’s tormentor came into the attack next. Harmer bowled a decent first over as well. Maharaj continued as Jaiswal swept him hard square of the wicket as the ball went away to the deep square leg fence. Harmer continued and bowled another probing over. Maharaj bowled another decent over.
Harmer continued as Jaiswal broke the shackles as he played the aerial sweep in front of square as he targeted the midwicket fence and got the boundary. The 50 came up for India and of the partnership between the two players in 18.5 overs. Maharaj continued and bowled another decent over. Harmer continued as Rahul hammered into the leg side as he danced down the track and got it through midwicket region with Bavuma misfielding. Jaiswal took on Harmer next by sweeping it in front of square over square leg for the maximum.
Maharaj continued and got rid of Rahul at the stroke of Drinks getting him for 22 off 63 balls with 2 fours to his name. Maharaj from around the wicket tossed it up around the off-stump gripping and turning away with some extra bounce as Rahul lunged forward and looked to defend with soft hands. He got a thick outside edge from the shoulder of the bat as Markram dived forward and took a good low catch. India were 65/1 in 21.3 overs with Jaiswal still in the middle and Sai Sudharsan set to join him as players paused for Drinks Break.
Yashasvi Jaiswal completed his fifty but Simon Harmer double strike dents India hard
Sai Sudharsan came into bat next. Simon Harmer continued after the Break as Sudharsan pressed forward and got to the pitch of the ball and drove it crisply past the right of long-off for a boundary. Maharaj continued and bowled another probing over. Harmer continued as Sudharsan survived a close LBW appeal as Bavuma did not go for DRS. Maharaj continued and bowled another good over. Harmer too kept things tight.
Maharaj continued as Sudharsan broke the shackles by pressing forward and driving it through extra cover and mid-off for a boundary. Jaiswal got to his fifty in 85 balls as he got to his 13th Test fifty as he was holding the innings together. Maharaj continued as Jaiswal used his feet to get to the pitch of the ball and heaved it away over midwicket for a boundary. Harmer continued and bowled another probing over.
Jansen came back into the attack for a fresh spell. He bowled a quiet over on his return to the bowling crease. Harmer then dealt India a body blow as he removed Jaiswal for 58 off 97 balls with 7 fours and one six to his name. Harmer bowled a back of a length delivery around the off-stump that gripped and turned away sharply with some extra bounce as Yashasvi hung back and checked his drive on the up. He was through the shot a bit early, and got a leading edge which ballooned up in the air. Jansen at backward point and dived forward to take a brilliant catch with both hands. Dhruv Jurel came out to bat next.
Jansen continued and bowled a quiet over. Harmer was on a roll and struck again as he removed Sudharsan for 15 off 40 balls with 2 fours to his name. Harmer bowled short of a length delivery around the fourth stump and turned away. Sudharsan rocked back and whipped it away uppishly on the onside. He failed to keep it down. Rickelton at midwicket dived to his left and grabbed a fabulous catch with both hands. TV umpire had a look at it and it was a fair catch on replays. Captain Rishabh Pant came out to bat next.
Pant got off the mark with the maximum as he stepped down the track to convert the ball into a full toss and thumped it straight over the bowler’s head. The 100 came up for India in 34.5 overs. Jansen got another wicket to his name as he removed Jurel for a duck. Jansen banged it short into the wicket outside the off-stump. Jurel stood tall and looked to take it on. He mistimed the pull shot off the front foot. Maharaj moved to his right from mid-on and kept his eyes on the ball to take a good running catch with both hands.
Ravindra Jadeja came out to bat and negotiated the last three balls of the over safely. India were 102/4 in 36 overs with Pant on 6* and Jadeja on 0* as we paused for the Tea Break with South Africa on top. 4 bowlers used by South Africa with Simon Harmer being the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/39 in 11 overs. Keshav Maharaj has figures of 1/29 in 9 overs while Marco Jansen has figures of 1/23 in 10 overs. Wiaan Mulder bowled 6 overs for 11 runs. South Africa well and truly on top at this stage.
What Lies Ahead in Afternoon Session
India are in big trouble as they were 65/0 at one stage but have collapsed to 102/4 in 36 overs still trailing by 387 runs. South Africa hold all the aces at this stage and the pitch has started to do its trick now. We will not be surprised if South Africa bowls India out in this next session and enforce the follow-on. India have to bat outstandingly well to fight back.
Let’s see what the afternoon session awaits for all of us.
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