Hardik Pandya underlined the value of having a quality pace-bowling all-rounder in the group with the most valuable innings of his fledgling international career that saved India the blushes against South Africa on the second day of the first Test here at Newlands on Saturday.
An extremely cautious India, who scored a laborious 48 in 25 overs in the first session, had lost only one wicket in the shape of overnight batsman Rohit Sharma but in the second session their innings unraveled rapidly as South African bowlers made them hop, jump and skip in the crease. But Pandya (81 n.o.) and an equally tenacious Bhuvneshwar Kumar (24 n.o.), who took 33 balls to open his account, forged an invaluable 93-run stand for the unbroken eighth wicket as India took tea at 185 for seven, still 101 runs behind South Africa's first innings total.
India, overnight 28/3, went into second session of the day with the score reading 76/4 but it soon became 92 for seven as Vernon Philander (3/33) struck twice and Dale Steyn (2/51), looking every bit the bowler that makes him as great, ended Wriddhiman Saha's 14-minute misery. India would have been in more trouble had Dean Elgar held onto a straight but sharp catch of Pandya who was on 15 then in India's total score of 91/7. The Baroda player made most of the 'life' as India heaved a sigh of relief.
The Indian pacers may have given a good account of themselves on Friday's opening day of the first Test by restricting South Africa to 286 all out, but they would have realised the gulf in quality between them and the four-pronged home pace attack. Though the Indian pacers struck regularly, they also gave away a lot of boundary balls. That wasn't the case with hosts, who were relentlessly aggressive and were disciplined without compromising on their pace.
Brief scores: South Africa: 286 all out vs India (O/n: 28/3): 185/7 in 61 overs (Cheteshwar Pujara 26, Hardik Pandya 81; Vernon Philander 3/33, Dale Steyn 2/51).