Centurion: Abject surrender, utter humiliation, kings at home and paupers abroad. Well no term will be able to really define India’s capitulation against South Africa as they lost the second Test match here Wednesday at the Super Sport Park by 135 runs and with it the series. Chasing a winning target of 287, India who resumed the day on 35 for three, were bowled out for 151, with debutant pacer Lungi Ngidi (6/39) creating havoc. With the loss, India’s nine-series unbeaten run also ended.
Rohit Sharma’s 47 (74b, 6×4, 1×6) was the lone noteworthy contribution. The second highest scorer was tail-ender Mohammed Shami (28, 24b, 5×4) and the stat reflects how poorly equipped the Indians were to tackle the South African pace battery.
More importantly, while facing a tall order, some of the Indian batsmen committed hara-kiri. Cheteshwar Pujara (19) was run out for the second time in the game, Hardik Pandya (6) tried the ramp shot (glide over the wicket-keeper) and was caught behind by Quinton de Kock and Rohit tried to hook Ngidi when it was absolutely unnecessary to be caught be AB de Villiers who sprinted in 20 metres from the square-leg fence.
It was a revenge of sorts for Faf du Plessis’ men, who had been blanked 3-0 by hosts India in 2015. The defeat ended the aura of invincibility that the Indian team had attained in the last one year, thanks largely to big wins registered in friendly sub-continental dustbowls and some of which were against a weak Sri Lankan side.
From team selection to shot selection, to running between the wickets to the absence of sheer grit, India were left pondering quite a few issues at the end of just their second Test away from the sub-continent in more than a year.
On the other hand, the South Africans showed just why their pace attack is considered the most fearsome in the world. A testament to the quality was Ngidi, who became only the sixth Proteas pacer to pick a five-wicket haul in his debut Test.
Starting from overnight 35/3, it was another horrific first hour of play for the visitors. On the 19th ball of the morning, in the 27th over, Pujara going for a non-existent third run couldn’t beat De Villiers’ throw from the deep, and De Kock did the rest.
Three overs later, Parthiv Patel (19) pulled Kagiso Rabada (3/47) and a flying Morne Morkel took a brilliant catch at the deep square leg boundary.
Even though, Shami and Rohit put on 54 runs off 61 balls with for the eighth wicket, it was never going to be enough. And when Rohit was dismissed by Rabada, it was all over for India bar the shouting.
Agencies
