Adisciplined bowling performance from Marco Jansen, Duanne Olivier and Kagiso Rabada gave South Africa the advantage on an attritional first day of the second Test against India in Johannesburg. South Africa reached 35 for one as Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen were holding the fort for the hosts at stumps on Day 1.
SA vs IND, 2nd Test, Day 1: Highlights
Mohammed Shami was India’s only successful bowler as he got rid of Aiden Markram for 7. Elgar and Petersen were steadily building the South Africa innings after Markram’s early dismissal in the final session on opening day.
Petersen was handed a reprieve when Rishabh Pant dropped him off Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling. Mohammed Siraj walking off the field may be the other worrying sign for India as there is no update on the nature of his injury.
Jansen, Olivier, Rabada restrict India to 202
Earlier, South Africa rode on superb bowling efforts from rookie Marco Jansen, comeback man Duanne Olivier and pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada to bowl out India for 202 in their first innings at the Wanderers on Monday.
KL Rahul, who is leading the Indian team in regular skipper Virat Kohli’s absence, won the toss and opted to bat first on a wicket that he expected to offer rewards to the batsmen. Kohli was ruled out with an upper back spasm as India, which leads the three-match contest 1-0, sought to win its first Test series in South Africa.
Rahul provided the core of India’s resistance and stitched a solid 36-run opening stand with his Karnataka teammate Mayank Agarwal before Jansen made the first breakthrough for South Africa when Agarwal edged behind for 26.
Duanne Olivier then took two wickets in two balls before lunch with Cheteshwar Pujara caught off a top edge for three, followed by Ajinkya Rahane out on the first ball as he was caught by Keegan Petersen at second slip. India slipped to 53/3 in that first session in a troublesome start for the tourists following the news of Kohli’s injury.
Hanuma Vihari, who replaced Kohli, fell to Rabada for 20 after lunch and thanks to a one-handed stunning grab by Rassie van der Dussen at the forward short leg. Rahul then played an organised and circumspect 50-run knock before a stray shot saw him caught at fine leg by a diving Kagiso Rabada off the bowling of Jansen.
Ravichandran Ashwin scored a valuable 46 but overall it proved a disappointing day for the batsmen after their dominant performance in the first Test in Pretoria last week. While Jansen took 4 wickets, Olivier and Rabada finished with identical figures of 3 for 64.
