Seeking to avoid their first-ever whitewash on South African shores, India captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first on a difficult track in the third and final Test at the Wanderers in Johanessburg.
Ajinkya Rahane was finally given a spot in the playing XI while Bhuvneshwar Kumar was recalled as Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin made way for India.
Faf du Plessis also named an all-pace bowling attack on a greenish pitch with Andile Phehlukwayo coming in for Keshav Maharaj.
India were bowled out for 187 in their first innings as South Africa ended day one at 6-1.
INDIA’S OPENING HORROR SHOW CONTINUES
With opening stands of 16, 30, 28 and 11 so far in the first two Tests, it’s safe to say that it’s not been happy days for India’s openers so far.
While Shikhar Dhawan partnered Murali Vijay in the opening Test, KL Rahul was preferred in the second. The latter kept his place in the side at the Wanderers but his performance on Wednesday did little to justify that decision.
After being tested by South Africa’s pacers for 13 deliveries, Rahul departed for a duck after inside edging a Vernon Philander in-swinger which Quinton de Kock did well to collect. Vijay followed him to the dressing room a few moments later as his attempt to drive Kagiso Rabada through the covers could only muster a faint edge on the way to the wicket-keeper as India were reduced to 13-2.
After 10 innings between the three batsmen in the series so far, India’s openers average an abysmal 12.30, a testament to their struggles in South Africa.
Murali Vijay’s dismal run continued.
KOHLI MAKES THE MOST OF TWO LIVES
After losing both openers so early, the pressure was on India’s batsmen as the Proteas’ pacers had their tails up.
On a difficult pitch, the Indian skipper was given two lifelines by the South Africans. He was let-off first by Philander off the bowling of Rabada before AB De Villiers dropped a sitter at third slip.
Edges evaded fielders and multiple plays and misses followed but Kohli hung on for dear life and made the South Africans pay with a half-century to remember.
His luck eventually ran out though while batting on 54 as De Villiers made up for his earlier drop by snatching an outside edge off Lungi Ngidi’s bowling.
Kohli survived two dropped chances before registering his fifty.
CHETESHWAR PUJARA STANDS FIRM
While India’s openers have struggled on the tour, it has been no different with Cheteshwar Pujara who had gone 12 innings without scoring a fifty outside Asia when coming into the final Test.
After India lost the openers cheaply, Pujara dug deep. He was constantly beaten by the movement generated by Philander, Rabada and Morne Morkel but his resolve would not be broken easily.
It took the number three batsman 54 deliveries to open his account, underlining his patience at the crease and dogged determination. He saw off the new ball and was beginning to get into the flow of runs with the older ball as he brought up one of his finest half-centuries.
An outside edge off Phehlukwayo ended his 179-ball vigil at the crease but it was a fighting innings from Pujara which exemplified his penchant for doing the dirty work for the team.
Pujara brought up his first fifty in 13 innings outside the Asian continent.
INDIA CRUMBLE AFTER PUJARA’S DISMISSAL
After Pujara’s marathon knock was ended by Phehlukwayo, India’s lower middle-order crumbled under constant pressure by the pacers.
Rahane was dismissed by Philander but a retrospective no-ball call afforded him another chance. The Mumbai-batsman was unable to make the most of the reprieve as Philander got his man after trapping him on the pads.
Parthiv Patel would follow him soon after as he attempted to cut a Morkel delivery over point only to edge it to de Kock. Hardik Pandya, in a bid to counter-attack, top-edged a Phehlukwayo delivery as de Kock completed an excellent running catch.
All of a sudden, Indian went from 144-4 to 144-7.
Rahane’s comeback was short-lived.
BHUVNESHWAR STRIKES EARLY AFTER HANDY CAMEO
Bhuvneshwar’s credentials with the bat were confirmed in the first Test where the 127 deliveries he faced were the most by any Indian batsman. He showed some good application once again at the Wanderers with a robust innings. His handy cameo of 29 runs on Wednesday helped India reached 187 in their first innings after a sub-150 score looked on the cards.
His immaculate seam-bowling then got India off to the best start possible with the ball when he had Aiden Markram knick one on the way to Patel. He bowled quite a few unplayable deliveries in his three overs on the day and will be looking to provide some more early breakthroughs when South Africa come out to bat at 6-1 on Thursday morning.
Bhuvenshwar provided India with the early breakthrough.
