Stuart Hess at SuperSport Park
Centurion - South Africa clung to India’s coat-tails with a gritty display in the field in the opening session of the fourth day on Wednesday.
The tourists however remain in control, with their lead increased to 209 runs as they went to lunch on 79/3 with skipper Virat Kohli on 18 and Cheteshwar Pujara, who benefited from a chance offered when he had 4, on 12.
India had resumed on their overnight score of 16/1 on a bright and very warm day here, their goal being to bat through to tea and then assess how much they needed to set South Africa to feel safe that they couldn’t lose. In that regard any target in the fourth innings above 300 runs should do, with the pitch still offering plenty of assistance for the seam bowlers, as evidenced by the number of deliveries that misbehaved on Wednesday morning.
The #Proteas are fighthing tooth and nail on day 4 of the first Betway Test💪#SAvIND #FreedomTestSeries #BetwayTestSeries #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/SMFeprNoqe
Kohli will also have to factor into his equations the weather forecast for Thursday, with thunderstorms predicted which could mean breaks in play.
For the first session however, despite the loss of two wickets, India will be pleased with their efforts. South Africa worked hard, but the bowlers probably didn’t hit the stumps enough with their lines, allowing India’s batters to let a number of deliveries through to the wicketkeeper.
It made for good looking figures for the bowlers; Kagiso Rabada’s first spell of five overs saw him, concede just eight runs, but KL Rahul and Shardul Thakur didn’t have to play at many deliveries, and the same held true for Marco Jansen, who conceded just two scoring shots - a six and a four - in a six over burst from the West Lane End.
Lungi Ngidi picking up where he left off🔥#SAvIND #FreedomTestSeries #BetwayTestSeries #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/LtXag92A9c
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) December 29, 2021
When Rabada did target the stumps, he got a delivery to move off the surface to find the edge of nightwatchman, Thakur’s bat, with Wiaan Mulder snaffling a good catch at third slip. Thakur had done his job in making 10 and occupying the crease for the necessary half an hour, that included a tricky last over on Tuesday evening.
Pujara, dismissed first ball by Lungi Ngidi in the first innings, got off the ‘king pair’ with an elegant on-drive. However he should have been dismissed shortly thereafter when Ngidi had him flicking in the air to midwicket, where a diving Rabada, dropped a relatively simple catch.
That wicket would have changed the complexion of the morning’s play.
As it was, Ngidi had to keep plugging away and in one illustration of the pitch misbehaving struck Rahul on the hand as the opener pressed forward to defend. Rahul required treatment and two balls later, still feeling the effects of the blow, tried to force one off the back foot that again bounced appreciably, and was too close to his body, edging the ball towards first clip where Dean Elgar hung onto a sharp catch.
Kohli and Pujara played with reasonable comfort until the interval, keeping the tourists on top.
@shockerhess
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