Virat Kohli scored 85 on the second day against South Africa. (Source: AP)
India vs South Africa second session on the second day saw a start and end match while the part in the middle mirrored India’s fate in away Tests over the years. KL Rahul and Murali Vijay started strongly and looked confident. Both batted well and handled the pace attack as well even with little to offer for the seamers. But briefly, India of the year’s past came back to haunt them. It saw KL Rahul send an uppish drive back into the bowler’s hands and Cheteshwar Pujara was dismissed for a golden duck while trying to steal a single off the very next ball. In two balls, India had demonstrated what South Africa had done last evening. But India, at number four, have Virat Kohli who steadied the innings. Laced with confident strokes and comfortable boundaries, Kohli got India a move on and reassured Vijay at the other end as well. With that, India stand at 80/2 at Tea while trailing South Africa by 255 runs. The first session too saw a disparity in India’s discipline. A poor fielding show saw mutliple chances go waste but enough to bowl South Africa out for 335 runs. Faf du Plessis scored a 17th Test fifty and found support from Kagiso Rabada after Mohammed Shami struck to dismiss Keshav Maharaj for his 100th scalp. Thereafter, Rabada survived twice – off consecutive deliveries – with Kohli and Pandya letting chances go off Ashwin. Then Parthiv let go of a chance of Faf with Ashwin the disappointed bowler yet again. In the final hour of play, Ishant struck twice to dismiss Rabada and Faf with a short one and length delivery respectively. Ashwin finished with four wickets and Ishant with three. Catch live scores and updates from India vs South Africa. (INDIA vs SOUTH AFRICA FULL SCORECARD)
India vs South Africa Live Score Updates 2nd Test Day 2: 2056 hrs IST: STUMPS! India are 183/5 at the close of play on Day 2 to trail South Africa by 152 runs. Virat Kohli unbeaten on 85 and Hardik Pandya on 11
2022 hrs IST: GONE! Another batsman who looked so good, so confident and perishes without making the most of the good start. Parthiv Patel gets an outside edge behind to Quinton de Kock and Lungi Ngidi gets his maiden Test wicket.
2016 hrs IST: 12 overs left in the day. Kohli is on 78 and Parthiv on 11. Parthiv gets an outside edge which runs away for a four behind. But more importantly, with Maharaj in the attack, he’s getting the ball to pitch outside off and it takes something off the rough. Could play a significant role later in the Test. Two balls later, he plays a convincing stroke over the top of the infield for another boundary
2001 hrs IST: Lungisani Ngidi back into the attack for his second spell. Wants Kohli to be his maiden Test wicket and it is a big appeal for leg before. The ball seems to be straying down the leg side even as South Africa appeal long and hard. In the meanwhile, India have picked three runs. There’s a spike on the UltraEdge and that has saved Kohli. Had that not been there, it would have been the end for the Indian skipper. South Africa lose their review
1949 hrs IST: This will once again ignite the discussion on Rohit’s inclusion in the squad over Ajinkya Rahane. Would Rahane have had more sense? Ishant Sharma justified his inclusion with three wickets. Now on to the third change – Parthiv Patel comes on to bat for Wriddhiman Saha
1941 hrs IST: Rohit Sharma has been given out leg before. Umpire has raised his finger. Not a no ball, no inside edge, it has hit the back leg and it is going on to hit the top of middle stump. Would have clipped the bails and umpire’s call means he is out.
1908 hrs IST: GONE! The partnership was working so well and looked so promising but Maharaj has struck to end it. Vijay walks and South Africa have their third wicket. This was bowled flatter and quicker outside the off stump by the left arm spinner, Vijay tried to play the cut but it has bounced a touch more. Takes a thick top-edge and De Kock does well to take it. India are 107/3.
1854 hrs IST: 100 up for India in the 33rd over. Vijay drives it square past the covers region to pick up a single – mostly due to Ngidi’s quick fielding in the deep. It brings up the visitor’s 100
1813 hrs IST: TEA! India are 80/2 at Tea with Kohli on 39 and Murali Vijay on 31. India trail South Africa by 255 runs
1737 hrs IST: Both Vijay and Kohli looking sharp here. Kohli has started well and looks to be in good touch. Reading the surface and movement well. Still, to be sure he checks with Vijay on whether the delivery went straight or came back in with the India opener confirming it had in fact straightened and remained outside the off stump.
1653 hrs IST: GONE! RUN OUT! Cheteshwar Pujara goes for zero and that is criminal from India. That is clearly self sabotage mode. Needless to try and go for the run on that first delivery. Pujara with a simple drive, straight at the fielder, testing debutant Ngidi at mid-on and he is spot on. Vijay wasn’t entirely sure and his look as Pujara walks back says it all.
1650 hrs IST: GONE! Shikhar Dhawan’s replacement KL Rahul fails to shine either. Goes for 10 after chipping his drive uppishly to Morkel who holds on to the catch in his follow through. He looked good, was playing smartly and cautiously. An extremely soft dismissal
1630 hrs IST: Into the second session of play on the second day now. Just as the situation was with the Indian seamers, Philander and Morkel haven’t been able to get anything out of the surface in their short spell thus far. All about getting in and capitalising on this batting surface. KL Rahul looks good and is well aware of his off stump while also getting forward with confidence.
1534 hrs IST: India go into Lunch at 4/0 and trail South Africa by 331 runs. KL Rahul and Murali Vijay the openers for India, Keshav Maharaj bowled the first over and went for a boundary
1520 hrs IST: WICKET! And Ashwin gets the wicket of Morne Morkel and South African innings come to an end. India have bowled out the hosts for 335 in the first innings at Centurion. R Ashwin gets 4 wickets, Ishant Sharma took 3.
1510 hrs IST: WICKET! That ball just went through Faf du Plessis and he departs on 63. Ishant Sharma gets the big wicket, his 3rd in the Test.
1500 hrs IST: WICKET! After poor fielding in the day, India finally manage to take a catch and how! Terrific running catch from Hardik Pandya and Kagiso Rabada departs on 11 off Ishant Sharma. He gets his 2nd wicket in the match.
1456 hrs IST: DROPPED! Parthiv Patel has let Faf go at 54. That has taken a clear edge and Patel has failed to hold on. Slider outside off from Ashwin and Faf tried to push off the back foot and takes a thick edge. Pops into Parthiv’s gloves and immediately back out. A desperate second attempt but doesn’t work
1451 hrs IST: FIFTY! Faf du Plessis raises his bat as he brings up a well-played fifty and has the Proteas going despite the carnage last evening. Gets a warm applause from a packed SuperSport Park after picking up two runs
1432 hrs IST: DROPPED! Two balls and two drops! Rabada comes down the track and tries to smash it into the stands but miscues it. The leading edge goes kindly towards Pandya at point but for some unknown reason, Shami went for the catch too from short third man and his physical presence seems to have put off Hardik here. The chance has been down! That was poor from Shami to blind sight Pandya. Kohli is not pleased, Ash is not pleased. This is poor cricket from India
1430 hrs IST: DROPPED! Virat Kohli is slow to react and the chance goes begging at first slip. Ashwin has Rabada squared up and gets an outside edge. Takes Parthiv’s glove and then heads towards Kohli but the skipper is slow to react and it is put down
1425 hrs IST: Shami is the 20th Indian to 100 Test wickets. From the current lot, he has R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ishant Sharma ahead of him.
1412 hrs IST: GONE! Shami picks up his 100th Test wicket with Keshav Maharaj his victim. The opening over for Shami and the change in length has done the job. Maharaj had been rooted into the back of the crease by multiple bouncers. Doesn’t put his weight into the rare movement forward, gets a thin nick from outside off and hands a simple catch behind to Parthiv.
1401 hrs IST: Keshav Maharaj playing Ishant well here. Two deliveries after almost getting bowled and having the ball run through his defence, the South Africa batsman is quick to get to his backfoot and punches the delivery outside off for a comfortable and confident boundary. The next ball, he ducks down for a 134kmph bouncer. Very careful batting and courageous too.
1341 hrs IST: A big appeal for a LBW against Faf du Plessis by Bumrah. Umpire says not out. India are thinking of a review and Kohli does take it. There is no bat involved but looks like there is a height problem. The hawkeye shows that ball is going over the stumps. India have lost both their reviews
1335 hrs IST: One run off the final delivery of Ishant Sharma’s over. Faf du Plessis will keep the strike for South Africa. Jasprit Bumrah to bowl
1330 hrs IST: Ishant Sharma to bowl the first over to Faf du Plessis. India need to keep South AFrica under 300
1310 hrs IST: Ashwin was the key for India on day one and he can be very useful in cleaning up the tail on day two. Big task for bowlers to bowl South Africa out below 300
1255 hrs IST: India have four wickets to take as soon as they can. South Africa will resume at 269 for 6 with Faf du Plessis and Keshav Maharaj at the crease.
1240 hrs IST: Second day of the second Test between India and South Africa in Centurion. Apart from the one day which was washed out due to rain, this series have seen top class cricket on each other day. Sunday is also expected to be the same.