21st century, great!

centurion, january 15

India captain Virat Kohli blazed a magnificent century, but South Africa hold the upper hand as they reached 90/2 two in their second innings on a difficult wicket after rain and then bad light curtailed play on Day 3 of the second Test here today. The home side lead by 118 runs, having bowled India out for 307 after lunch despite a classy 153 from Kohli, who played almost a lone hand in scoring half his side’s runs.

Brilliant AB 

AB de Villiers (50*) has taken the attack to the Indian bowlers after South Africa had sunk to 3/2 in their second innings on a wicket that is more Pune than Pretoria, with variable bounce and taking massive turn for the spinners. De Villiers will resume on Day 4 with opener Dean Elgar (36*), who has battled for rhythm but hung around in an unbeaten third-wicket partnership of 87.

South Africa had been rocked earlier by a double-strike from Indian seamer Jasprit Bumrah (2/30), who trapped both Aiden Markram (1) and Hashim Amla (1) leg-before wicket with deliveries that skidded through after keeping low.

There would have been plenty of panic in the South African dressing room at that point, but De Villiers started playing attacking shots from the moment he reached the wicket to transfer the pressure back onto the tourists. 

Kohli had spoken before the match about showing more “intent” against South Africa’s seam attack and he duly delivered, compiling a brilliant 153 from 217 balls.  He now has 21 Test tons to go with 15 half-centuries, his conversion rate of 50s into hundreds only behind the great Don Bradman, who made 29 hundreds and 13 fifties.

Farcical run-out

India had resumed on 183/5, but lost Hardik Pandya (15) to a farcical run out as the all-rounder ambled into his crease and failed to put his bat down, only to be undone by a direct hit from Vernon Philander. 

Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin (38) shared a quick-fire seventh wicket stand of 71 in 14.2 overs, before the latter fell to Philander (1/46). Mohammed Shami (1) edged a Morne Morkel (4/60) delivery to slip, while the latter also accounted for Ishant Sharma (3) when he was caught at short-leg. Kohli was the last batsman out as he tried to attack, caught at deep mid-on to become Morkel’s fourth victim. — Reuters

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Scoreboard

South Africa 1st innings: 335

India 1st innings: (Overnight 183/5) 

M Vijay c de Kock b Maharaj 46
L Rahul c&b Morkel 10
C Pujara run out (Ngidi) 0
V Kohli c de Villiers b Morkel 153
R Sharma lbw b Rabada 10
P Patel c de Kock b Ngidi 19
H Pandya run out (Philander) 15
R Ashwin c du Plessis b Philander 38
M Shami c Amla b Morkel 1
I Sharma c Markram b Morkel 3
J Bumrah not out 0

Extras: (B-8 LB-1 W-2 NB-1) 12

Total: (All out, 92.1 overs) 307

Fall of wickets: 1-28 2-28 3-107 

4-132 5-164 6-209 7-280  8-281 

9-306 10-307

Bowling

Keshav Maharaj 20-1-67-1
Morne Morkel 22.1-5-60-4
Vernon Philander 16-3-46-1
Kagiso Rabada 20-1-74-1
Lungi Ngidi 14-2-51-1

South Africa 2nd innings

A Markram lbw Bumrah 1
D Elgar batting 36
H Amla lbw Bumrah 1
AB de Villiers batting 50

Extras: (LB-1 W-1) 2

Total: (2 wickets, 29.0 overs) 90

Fall of wickets: 1-1 2-3

Bowling

Ravichandran Ashwin 12-0-33-0
Jasprit Bumrah 8-2-30-2
Ishant Sharma 4-0-14-0
Mohammed Shami 5-1-12-0

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Most 100s by Asian batsmen outside the Subcontinent

Player Matches 100

Sachin Tendulkar 77 18

Sunil Gavaskar 46 15

Rahul Dravid 68 14

Inzamam-ul-Haq 51 10

Javed Miandad 48 9

Virat Kohli 26 9