Live Cricket Score, SA vs IND, 2nd Test Day 1: Markram fifty leads SA charge

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Hello and Welcome to our Live Coverage of the second Test between South Africa and India being played at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. South Africa 1st Innings: 15.24 IST: FIFTY! Aiden Markram slams his sec

Hello and Welcome to our Live Coverage of the second Test between South Africa and India being played at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

South Africa 1st Innings:

15.24 IST: FIFTY! Aiden Markram slams his second half-century. South Africa 72/0 vs India

15.23 IST: H. PANDYA TO A. MARKRAM, FOUR! Markram is one shot of his half ton! Back-to-back boundaries for him. Pandya bangs it short at 136 kph. Markram gets into the position and pulls it with disdain through mid-wicket for a boundary.

15.23 IST: H. PANDYA TO A. MARKRAM, FOUR! Markram has been driving well since morning and he has done it to perfection again! Pandya bowls it full on off, Markram leans into it and drives it past the diving mid off fielder for a boundary. He moves onto 45.

15.18 IST: R. ASHWIN TO D. ELGAR, NOT OUT! India lose a review! Ashwin tosses it up on off, gets it to turn away sharply. Elgar lunges forward in defense but he seems to have missed it. The Indians appeals and the umpire shakes his head. Kohli without consulting anybody, he straight away signalled for a 'T'. They go upstairs and the replays show there is nothing on Snicko and hence the on-field call stays. South Africa 61/0 vs India

15.12 IST: J. BUMRAH TO A. MARKRAM, FOUR! Errs in line and bowls it on the pads, Markram is too good to miss out there. He flicks it through backward square leg and the ball races away. He moves on to 39.

15.10 IST: R ASHWIN TO D. ELGAR, NOT OUT! Beautiful bowling by Ashwin! He slows it up and bowls it outside off, he gets some purchase off the wicket as it turns away. Elgar goes for an expansive drive away from his body but is beaten by the bounce. Saha takes it and whips the bails off. They appeal and the umpire goes upstairs. Replays show Elgar never lifted his feet.

15.06 IST: J. BUMRAH TO A. MARKRAM, FOUR! Bad ball and dispatched! Bumrah has not got it right here. He bowls it short outside off, offers a lot of width. Markram cashes in on it as he cuts it through covers for a boundary.

14.58 IST: H. PANDYA TO D. ELGAR, FOUR! First boundary for Elgar! It has come in the 19th over. He gets a full ball outside off, Elgar square drives it for a boundary.

14.56 IST: 18.2 H. PANDYA TO A. MARKRAM. Some excitment there! Pandya bends his back and bowls it short. He gets good bounce from the surface. Markram tries to pull but he misses and Patel behind jumps and collects it well. There is a muted appeal from the Indians but is is cut short by the umpire.

14.50 IST: Hardik Pandya bowls his third successive maiden over, he is yet to concede a run off his bowling. SA 37/0 in 17 overs​

14.32 IST: Time for the first drinks break in the game. The Proteas openers have done well to negotiate this first hour. No real help for the seamers and that Shami was indisciplined didn't help the Indians. Bumrah bowled well but Ishant was the more probing of the seamers on show so far. Can he draw first blood soon? Hope the break rejuvenates them. Markram has looked assured in his stay out there while Elgar has been a touch tentative. How long will they carry on? SA 36/0 in 14 overs

14.28 IST: Hardik Pandya starts off his spell with a maiden over. SA 35/0 in 13 overs

14.18 IST: Good over for the hosts, 13 runs came off it as Shami got smacked for two boundaries through the covers by Markram. SA 34/0 in 11 overs

14.15 IST: Shami to Markram, FOUR! Another glorious shot, not great bowling though. Shami overpitches this outside off, Markram gets ahead and drives it nicely through the vacant cover region for a boundary.

14.14 IST: Shami to Markram, FOUR! A Gateway of India in Cape Town? Let me explain. This is full and outside off, a hint of movement away from the batter. Markram gets his stride forward and drives it through covers. Bumrah is stationed there and puts in a lousy effort and lets the ball go through his legs. The ball's next destination is the boundary fence.

14.13 IST: South Africa 21/0 in 10 overs. Elgar 9*, Markram 11*

14.05 IST: Very good first over from Ishant, just 1 run came off it. SA 16/0 in 8 overs vs IND

13.59 IST: Bumrah to Markram, WHAT A DELIVERY! Half-hearted appeal from the Indians for a caught behind but umpire says not out. Brilliant delivery to end the over. On a length around off, it comes back in viciously.

13.54 IST: Both batsmen are batting a fraction outside the crease, observes Mike Haysman on air. Perhaps to counter any little movement that is on offer.

13.52 IST: Maiden over from Jasprit Bumrah, he troubled Dean Elgar on a couple of occasions. SA 12/0 in 5 overs

13.44 IST: Shami to Markram, FOUR! Shami overcorrects, pays the price. In a bid to bowl straighter, he strays on the pads. Markram keeps his balance and flicks it nonchalantly through mid-wicket. Ishant gives it a chase from mid on but has no chance of cutting that off. A good fast outfield this.

13.43 IST: Shami to Markram, FOUR! How beautifully timed is this one! Shami hurls it on a length outside off, Markram stands tall and punches it through covers. Plenty of real estate there and the ball speeds away to the fence. That's the first boundary of the game and Aiden's blade gets it.

13.42 IST: The hosts are finally off the mark as Bumrah concedes 4 runs from his second over. SA 4/0 in 3 overs

13.38 IST: Mohammed Shami bowls the second successive maiden for India. SA 0/0 in 2 overs

13.34 IST: Bumrah bowls a maiden over, excellent start for India. SA 0/0 in 1 over

13.30 IST: The players and the umpires walk out to take their positions on the ground. Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram are the two men for the hosts who walk out with the willow. For the visitors, Jasprit Bumrah will have the first feel of the new ball. Three slips and a gully stand in anticipation.

Pre-match updates:

13.10 IST: Just one change for the Proteas - Lungi Ngidi will be making his debut, he comes in place of Dale Steyn who has been ruled out of the series with a heel injury.

13.08 IST: India have included KL Rahul, Ishant Sharma and Parthiv Patel in place of Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Wriddhiman Saha.

13.00 IST: TOSS! Faf du Plessis wins the toss, South Africa opt to bat vs India at Centurion. Proteas lead 3-match series 1-0

12.52 IST: Final pep talks before the match gets underway

12.44 IST: The team had also visited India House at Johannesburg on Thursday

12.40 IST: Indian batsmen were seen sweating it out on the nets yesterday.

Match Preview:

Pride will be at stake for India when they take on South Africa in the second Test at the SuperSport Park, Centurion starting Saturday. India, who after nine successive Test series triumphs, face litmus Test after going down by 72 runs in the first Test at Cape Town earlier this week.

While the Indian pacers are expected to exploit the conditions at the SuperSport Park once again after grabbing 17 wickets at a lively Newlands pitch, the focus will be on India's top five batsmen, who combined to put on board only 130 in both the innings.

Bounce, seam and swing were all there to see at Newlands and SuperSport Park is expected to be no less lively. South Africa have not lost at this venue since 2014.

South Africa head coach Otis Gibson has already expressed his desire to stick with a four-pronged pace attack. The hosts went into the Newlands Test with their strongest quartet of seamers -- Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada. Veteran Steyn injured his left heel midway through the match and has been sidelined for up to six weeks.

One of all-rounders Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo is most likely to be included in place of Steyn to strengthen their batting which din't perform on expected lines.

Rookie pacers Duanne Olivier and Lungi Ngidi have been added to the squad and skipper Faf du Plessis may be lured into fielding either of them. Keshav Maharaj will be the lone spinner in the team.

To stand up to the pacers, Indian batsmen have a lot of areas to improve upon. The conditions are far different from that of the sub-continent and India didn't even play a warm-up game prior to the first Test.

Having experienced the conditions in the first Test, the Indian batsmen will be hopeful of giving a better account of themselves.

Some of them played reckless shots -- which would have worked on a slow pitch -- in the first Test and coming into the second game, they would have got a measure of the task ahead.

Calls for the inclusion of Ajinkya Rahane, known for his quiet approach, instead of fellow Mumbaikar Rohit Sharma have grown over the few days. It will not be a surprise if one of Dhawan or Rohit sit out, while Karnataka right-hander Lokesh Rahul -- a stroke-maker but with a judicious batting approach -- may find himself in the openers' slot.

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