DAY 1 REPORT
Follow UsIt was delight for India in Centurion as the hosts, after winning the toss and opting to bat first, ended the first day on 272/3 to take firm control of the first Test. The platform for the visitors was set up by a 117-run stand between KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, and the former struck a sensational ton to ensure the hosts ended the first day firmly on top. The only batter who missed out on the day was Cheteshwar Pujara, who perished for a golden duck.
Rusty, sloppy South Africa lose the plot with the ball in the first session
Prior to today, South Africa hadn’t played a Test match since late June. And frankly, it showed. For what unfolded across 28 overs in the first session was an extended passage of indiscipline that is seldom associated with South Africa, especially at home.
Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi took the new ball for the Proteas, and both the frontline seamers were too short and too wide, seldom forcing the Indian openers to play. Forget hitting the stumps, the two seamers were so wide that the ball, often, was not even close to the sixth-stump mark. After the first hour, Rahul and Agarwal left 43% of the balls in this session - the first time since 2014 that a team had left 40%+ balls in South Africa in the first session of a Test.
The third seamer in the pack was, controversially, young Marco Jansen, who was surprisingly picked ahead of the in-form Duanne Olivier, and the full-toss he dished out to Agarwal on his first ball kind of foreshadowed how his spell went. He was expensive, inconsistent and struggled to find rhythm. He did, however, create a chance by inducing the outside edge of Agarwal, which was hastily spilt by the keeper Quinton de Kock.
No bowler was able to provide penetration and this was taken advantage of by the Indian openers, who were ultra-proactive in their approach. In particular Agarwal, who struck 7 boundaries in the first session.
It was an underwhelming start with the ball by South Africa, and India ended up winning the first session of the series, posting 83 while losing no wickets. A big statement first up in the tour.
Proteas rediscover discipline to strike back post lunch
India went to lunch 83/0 on a wicket where they had no business scoring that many without losing a single wicket, but South Africa responded like a side which knew that it erred in the first phase of the game.
Immediately there was improvement from the bowlers, who bowled tight lines and made the batters play far more than they did in the first hour of the game. Initially they toiled hard without any reward, but the prize soon came as they struck not once but twice.
The first of the two wickets was Agarwal, who was dismissed LBW by Lungi Ngidi. Ngidi was completely off radar in the morning session, but post-lunch he targeted the stumps and a ball that kept low rapped Agarwal on the pads. The on-field umpire initially ruled it not out, but a bold DRS from the hosts helped them strike jackpot as three reds sent the Indian opener back to the hut.
In walked Pujara at No.3 and he lasted just one ball as an inside-edge carried to Keegan Petersen at bat-pad as India lost two in two. Ngidi it was once again, and he finished his spell even though he wasn’t able to claim the hat trick.
South Africa did not take a wicket in the rest of the session, but Mulder kept both Kohli and Rahul honest by delivering a few peaches.
India went to tea 157/2 as the Proteas clawed their way back into the contest.
Kohli nicks off in trademark fashion, but Rahane and Rahul help India end day 1 in dominant position
South Africa toiled hard for 10 overs after tea without any reward, but they got the breakthrough in the 11th over as Ngidi bagged his third to send skipper Kohli back to the pavilion. Ngidi bowled one on seventh stump, really, but bafflingly, the Indian skipper chased it and ended up nicking it to Wiaan Mulder at first slip. And just like that yet another promising knock was cut short as Kohli departed for just 35 despite looking so good. At 199/3, with 11 overs left for the second new ball, the Proteas sensed an opening.
However, all they would end up enduring for the rest of the day would be nothing but pain as Rahul, along with Rahane, ended up keeping the bowlers at bay to ensure the visitors ended the day on X 272/3
On his second ball Rahane crunched a half-volley to the boundary, and that would end up being the sign of things to come. He was near-flawless during his 81-ball stay and channeled his 2014 self to not just frustrate the Proteas bowlers, but punish them. He ended the day unbeaten on 41*, vindicating his selection.
At the other end, Rahul continued to be a force of nature as he batted with utmost discipline to bring up his 7th Test ton. Right up there as one of the best knocks of his career.
South Africa leaked runs aplenty in the final session as they allowed India to add 115 runs post tea.