IND vs SA: 2nd Test – Mayank, Kohli give India the edge on Day 1
India slugged it out against a disciplined South African bowling performance in Pune to hold the edge on Day 1 of the second Test. Mayank Agarwal continued his blistering form from Vizag to register his second international ton to give the Indian batting unit a solid platform. Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli also chipped in with valuable runs as the hosts ended the day on 273-3. Spearhead Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the bowlers for Proteas, despite failing to find his best rhythm. He picked up all the three wickets to showcase his class. For India, Kohli is looking in ominous touch with the reliable Rahane at the other end. The team will now aim to build upon the good work and pile a huge score on the board on Day 2.
Check out the full scorecard here
Mayank, Pujara set a solid foundation
With a healthy amount of grass covering on the pitch, conditions were tricky for the Indian batters in the first hour. With moisture due to overnight rains, the ball jagged around quite a lot. Vernon Philander was certainly troubling the batsman with his nagging line and length. The Indian openers – Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal showcased immense patience to stick around. Rohit’s toil finally came to an end when Rabada came up with a peach of a delivery to dismiss him on 14. The ball was full in length just outside the off-stump and the late away movement deceived the opener, finding the edge. The Protean pacers now had their tail up and were sensing blood. Both Mayank and Pujara though, made full use of their solid defensive techniques to keep the bowlers at bay. They also punished the odd bad delivery, to keep the scoring rate ticking. At 77-1, the first session definitely belonged to India.
Upping the ante
With the spinners playing a bigger role in the second session, Mayank and Pujara started to up the ante. Pujara displayed some lovely footwork to nudge the ball around the park, while Mayank was the aggressor. The pitch also started to flatten out the bit and the pacers were not as threatening. The pair came up with a stand of 138 to pile on the misery on the visitors. Pujara brought up his half-century and looked all set for a big score. But before the end of the session, it was Rabada again who came up with a crucial breakthrough. He incited an edge off the bat of Pujara, who otherwise had not given an inch away. The Indian No.3 was dismissed for 58 and the visitors again had a glimmer of hope. India ended the session on 168-2.
The Virat Kohli show
Mayank did not waste any time at the start of the final session, punishing the spinners with some big shots. He brought up a second successive century, following on from his exploits in Visakhapatnam. He could not convert it into a big hundred though, with Rabada again managing to find an edge. After his dismissal, the Proteas managed to put the brakes on. While Maharaj held up one end up, Nortje troubled the batsmen with his searing pace from the other. Kohli and Rahane though used all their experience, to wade through the troubled waters. Once Kohli got his eye in and crossed the 25-run mark, he unleashed his full array of strokes. Suddenly, the visitors again found themselves on the back foot, with the Indian skipper racing to a score of 63. Rahane defended with great gusto at the other end, playing on 18 off 70 deliveries. Bad light then brought a premature end to play. But it was advantage India on Day 1, with the batters having displayed great will, to counter a pace attack which had all the tools to make greater inroads.
