South Africa are in hot pursuit of India’s target of 240 runs. They are looking solid with the score reading 34/0. Earlier half centuries from Pujara and Rahane made sure India set a target of 240 runs. Kagiso Rabada accounted for both the well-set batters and also extinguished the threat of Rishabh Pant on 0. The game is nicely poised with India leading by 161 runs and four. Team India is in a dire need of runs and Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are at the crease to fulfill it. After bundling out New Zealand for 229, the visitors have taken a 58-run lead in the second innings. At stumps on day 2, India posted 85 for 2 with Rahane batting on 11 and Pujara unbeaten on 35.
The third day of the ongoing Test is going to be another test of the Indian batting that collapsed against the South African attack on the opening day. The openers – KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal – are already back in the hut and the limelight on the Pujara and Rahane who have been receiving flaks for their rough patch. The duo has got a great opportunity to shut their critics by putting India on the driver seat.
Besides these two batters, the lower middle-order needs to put a fighting show if they want to script history in the Rainbow Nation. Any target below 300 would be quite chasable for the hosts, especially, after they managed to take a slight lead on Tuesday.
Eyes will be on Rishabh Pant and Haunma Vihari who failed to impress with their skills. The flamboyant wicketkeeper-batter scored just 17 while Vihari, who returned to the line-up after a year, got only 20 runs in the first innings.
The batters need to make sure that Shardul Thakur’s heroics shouldn’t go into vain. The Mumbai all-rounder registered the best bowling figures by an Indian cricketer in South Africa, scalping 7 wickets in the first innings. He bettered two of Javagal Srinath’s records — Srinath’s record of 6/21 scripted in Ahmedabad in 1996 and 6/76 created in Port Elizabeth in 2001.
South Africa skipper Dean Elgar was Shardul’s first wicket of the match as he edged one to Rishabh Pant. Keegan Petersen, who scored an impressive fifty, was Shardul’s second scalp. Rassie van der Dussen’s controversial dismissal was his third.
Kyle Verreynne, who stitched a 60-run partnership with Temba Bavuma, was Shardul’s fourth wicket and his partner Temba, his fifth. Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi were his other two wickets in Johannesburg.
(With inputs from agencies)