Centurion: Indian pacers lived up to their reputation by running through the South African top half, reducing the hosts to 109 for five wickets at tea here Tuesday. Earlier, India lost their remaining seven wickets for a paltry 55 runs and were bowled out for 327 after resuming the third day at 272 for three. Lungi Ngidi with six wickets and Kagiso Rabada with three ran through the Indian middle and lower-order.
If India lost seven wickets in the morning due to Ngidi’s 6 for 71 and Rabada’s complementary 3 for 72, Mohammed Shami (2/16), Jasprit Bumrah (1/12), Mohammed Siraj (1/29) and Shardul Thakur (1/27) all got into the act on a spicy deck with a lot of underlying moisture.
Credit to India that despite losing Bumrah for a better part of second session due to sprained ankle, they didn’t let the intensity down even after Temba Bavuma (31 batting) and Quinton de Kock (34 batting) had added 72 runs for the fifth wicket.
De Kock’s loose shot off a long hop from Thakur that saw him drag one back onto his stumps literally put the Proteas in the dumps.
This was after Bumrah bowled a beautiful length with a tiniest movement that had Dean Elgar edging one to Rishabh Pant. Coming in as one change, Shami bowled an in-cutter that breached Keegan Peterson’s defence and then bowled a late leg-cutter that took Aiden Markram’s outside edge.
Rassie van Der Dussen found Siraj’s pace too hot to handle and the outside edge was comfortably snapped at gully by Ajinkya Rahane.
The morning belonged to Ngidi and Rabada as the Supersport Park track stayed true to its reputation of quickening up as time progressed. The bounce was more and the length that Rabada and Nigidi bowled consistently was a touch fuller compared to first day.
It was Rabada, who drew the first blood on the day with a well directed short ball aimed at Rahul’s rib-cage. The batter simply couldn’t manage the pull-shot and the tickle landed in de Kock’s gloves.
In case of Rahane, Ngidi hadn’t provided enough length for the drive and the ball reared up from length to take his edge and into keeper’s gloves. The rest of the batters surrendered meekly.
