India stare down the barrel

Centurion, january 16

Debutant Lungi Ngidi took the key wicket of India captain Virat Kohli as South Africa closed in on victory in the second Test with the tourists reeling at 35/3 on a misbehaving wicket at the close on Day 4 here today. India are chasing 287 for victory to square the three-match series, but that looks a long way off on a wicket providing extremely variable bounce.

Cheteshwar Pujara (11) and Parthiv Patel (five) will resume the Indian innings on the final day, trying to find a way to score runs against a fired-up home seam attack getting plenty of assistance from the pitch.

Kohli, who scored a brilliant 153 in the first innings, would have been key to India's plans in the run chase, but he was trapped lbw for five by an excellent delivery from Ngidi that came back into him sharply and kept low.

Ngidi, 21, had earlier bagged the wicket of opener Lokesh Rahul for four with his first delivery of the day, a loosener the batsman carved straight to Keshav Maharaj at point. Murali Vijay (nine) was the first batsman to fall, bowled by Kagiso Rabada from another ball that kept low.

India had worked their way back into the Test by bowling South Africa out for 258 in their second innings. 

Starting the day on 90/2, AB de Villiers (80) and Dean Elgar (61) put on 141 for the third wicket, a potentially match-winning partnership. But De Villiers was one of three wickets for the excellent Mohammed Shami (4/49) in the morning, followed by Elgar and Quinton de Kock (12).

Ishant Sharma (2/40) and Jasprit Bumrah (3/70) wrapped up the innings, despite a battling 48 from captain Faf du Plessis.

Gibson calls for final push

South Africa coach Ottis Gibson has urged his side to keep their “game faces” on as they close in on a series victory. “We are in a good position in the game, it's been four days of grinding test cricket, so to be a little bit in the ascendancy is a good place to be,” said Gibson.

“It's not finished yet, we have to make sure that when we wake up tomorrow morning we have still got our game faces on.”  The South African camp have made it known they are unhappy with the uncharacteristic pitch at Centurion Park, having hoped for a seaming wicket to assist their powerful pace attack. — Reuters

Scoreboard

South Africa 1st innings: 335

India 1st innings: 307

South Africa 2nd innings

A Markram lbw b Bumrah 1

D Elgar c Rahul b Shami 61

H Amla lbw b Bumrah 1

AB de Villiers  c Patel b Shami 80

F du Plessis c&b Bumrah 48

Q de Kock  c Patel b Shami 12

V Philander c Vijay b Sharma 26

K Maharaj c Patel b Sharma 6

K Rabada c Kohli b Shami 4

M Morkel not out 10

L Ngidi c Vijay b Ashwin 1

Extras: (B-2 LB-5 W-1) 8

Total: (all out in 91.3 overs) 258

Fall of wickets: 1-1 2-3 3-144 4-151 5-163 6-209 7-215 8-245 9-245

Bowling

Ravichandran Ashwin 29.3-6-78-1

Jasprit Bumrah 20-3-70-3

Ishant Sharma 17-3-40-2

Mohammed Shami 16-3-49-4

Hardik Pandya 9-1-14-0

India  2nd innings

M Vijay b Rabada 9

KL Rahul c Maharaj b Ngidi 4

C Pujara  not out 11

V Kohli lbw Ngidi 5

P Patel  not out 5

Extras: (B-1) 1

Total: (3 wickets in 23 overs) 35

Fall of wickets: 1-11 2-16 3-26 

Bowling

Vernon Philander 6-3-6-0

Kagiso Rabada 5-2-9-1

Lungi Ngidi 6-2-14-2

Morne Morkel 5-3-4-0

Keshav Maharaj 1-0-1-0

India successful run chases in away Tests

• 404/4 v WI at Port of Spain, 1976 

• 264/3 v SL at Kandy,  2001

• 258/5 v SL at Colombo 2010 

• 251 the highest total in the fourth innings at Centurion, by England in January 2000 against South Africa