KL Rahul: Every Test match we play we feel we should win and want to win. That's the kind of team we are, we compete hard and we leave everything on the field. So yes a bit disappointing but credit to the way South Africa played. They really batted well and bowled well. The pitch was up and down but like I said, the South African batters were really determined and got the job done. If I have to be really harsh, after winning the toss we could have put 60-70 runs more. Shardul's had a great Test match. In the few Test matches he has played, he has created that impact and won us games.
Dean Elgar: The basics of batting bowling, and batting don't go away, we missed that in the first game. Having said that, it wasn't easy. As a bowling unit, the Indians were on top at times. Massive respect to our bowling unit, they showed a lot of character. Always a privilege to represent your country. I would like to think the knocks I take make me extra motivated to perform. We struggled to get a stable batting line-up, and we had to be very patient. We've entrusted those positions to guys we feel can perform those roles, and great to see them pull it off.
Elgar finishes off in style, with a boundary off Ashwin. He remains unbeaten on 95. A seven-wicket win for the hosts. They have beaten India for the first time in a Test at the Wanderers. The series is level at 1-1 with all to play at Cape Town. Chasing 240 in these conditions and against this Indian attack wasn't going to be easy but Elgar and his teammates saw their team home with a gritty display. That will be all from our side. Thanks for joining us tonight. Good night.
SA 237/3 in 67 overs: Bavuma puts SA on the cusp of a famous win with a pull shot for four. Seven from the over.
SA 230/3 in 66 overs: Ashwin. Just a single off the over. 10 more needed.
SA 229/3 in 65 overs: Elgar on the charge. Collects two back-to-back boundaries off Siraj. That's followed by 5 wides. And another boundary... Siraj all over the place. 18 off the over.
SA 211/3 in 64 overs: Bumrah. Bavuma takes his team closer to victory with yet another delectable drive for four. 5 from the over.
SA 206/3 in 63 overs: Siraj has a crack. Last throw of the dice. Six from the over. Five singles and a wide. Easy as you like from Bavuma and Elgar.
SA 200/3 in 62 overs: Bumrah returns. Bavuma plays a delightful cover drive for four. No-ball from Bumrah. The extra delivery doesn't result in any run. 6 from the over.
SA 194/3 in 61 overs: Thakur. Just a brace off the first ball for Bavuma. South Africa keeping things simple - no unnecessary risks. Victory is within touching distance.
SA 192/3 in 60 overs: Shami. Just a single to Bavuma from that over. SA now 48 away.
SA 191/3 in 59 overs: A single at deep point for Bavuma with a backfoot punch. South Africa 49 runs away from a win.
SA 190/3 in 58 overs: Shami to Bavuma. Hits him high on the shoulder of the bat and a single for him at square leg. FOUR! Half-volley on off and Elgar drives it pat mid on to the rope. FOUR! Two boundaries in two balls. Back of length and Elgar hops back and guides it between slips and backward point.
DRINKS - SESSION 3 - SOUTH AFRICA 181/3, NEEDS 59 RUNS TO WIN
SA 181/3 in 57 overs: Dropped! Bavuma drives straight back and Thakur extends his right arm to take it but it doesn't stick. A single next ball through the covers and Bavuma gets off the mark.
SA 180/3 in 56 overs: FOUR! Short and wide outside off and Elgar gets a healthy top edge on it as he throws his bat at it. Flies over slips to the boundary. Good length angled around off and Elgar gets the inside half of the bat and onto his inner thigh. He jumps and winces in pain but is okay to continue.
SA 176/3 in 55 overs: Thakur holding the attack from the other end. Has Elgar in trouble with late away movement from a length as he tries to follow the ball an misses. A quick single for Elgar at mid on to end the over.
SA 175/3 in 54 overs: OUT! Shami looked threatening in this over and finally gets his man. Nips away from van der Dussen from a length as he looks to defend and it takes his outside edge to first slip.
SA 174/2 in 53 overs: Stifled appeal for LBW as Thakur brought it into van der Dussen. That one looks to have got him on the body. Beats the outside edge this time with away movement. Thakur keeps it on a length on off and van der Dussen leaves.
SA 174/2 in 52 overs: Shami round the wicket to Elgar. Into him with the angle and he pushes it at mid-on for one. Beaten! Shami gets a full one to move away from van der Dussen's outside edge as he leans in to tap. Nipped in and took van der Dussen's inside edge this time for a single at fine leg.
SA 172/2 in 51 overs: Thakur into the attack. Loose one on leg and Elgar tucks it for a single at fine leg. Tight off stump line on good length, tails in a bit and van der Dussen hurries into a defensive tap. FOUR! He looked to punch it on the backfoot through covers but the outside edge flew over a vacant gully and to the boundary. Rapped him! Thakur got it off the crack on off and climbed into van der Dussen's gloves! FOUR! This backfoot punch goes where it was meant to...through cover and point.
SA 161/2 in 50 overs: A quick single for Elgar at mid wicket after he pushes a full one on off. FOUR! Poor ball peppered on the pads and he clips it to the square leg boundary. 150 up for SA! FOUR! This is short from Shami and van der Dussen pulls it in front of square. FIVE-WIDES! Too short and the ball misses everything on its way to the fence. India leaking runs here and South Africa coasting here.
SA 147/2 in 49 overs: Bumrah to van der Dussen. Bumrah gets a couple of balls to nip into van der Dussen off a crack on a length on the off side. FOUR! Half-volley outside off and van der Dussen drives that through the covers and to the boundary. Another ball change as it seems to have got wet in the outfield. Indians in a huddle as skipper KL Rahul has a few words with them. Another one jags into van der Dussen and beats his inside edge.
SA 143/2 in 48 overs: A couple of single off Shami and the duo brings up the 50-run partnership off 124 balls. Beaten! A beauty to end the over. He beats Elgar's outside edge with one that moves away from a length in the channel.
SA 141/2 in 47 overs: Bumrah stings van der Dussen with one that spits up from a length and thuds onto the batter's abdomen. A couple for him next ball through covers as Bumrah goes full.
SA 139/2 in 46 overs: Shami replaces Ashwin. He bowls the hard-lengths outside off to Elgar for thee dot balls. A bouncer down leg that Elgar ducks under with ease. Angled into Elgar from a full length this time and Elgar got an inside edge on that. Good maiden over, keeping Elgar on his toes.
SA 139/2 in 45 overs: Bounce! Rose into van der Dussen from a length, got him on the gloves and looped up over gully for a couple. A desperate LBW shout but Bumrah turns back for his run-up immediately as it was missing leg stump.
SA 137/2 in 44 overs: Ashwin comes round the wicket to van der Dussen. Pitched around off and van der Dussen got his bat just in time as the ball spun in. FOUR! A boundary for Elgar past mid on and fifty up for him...from 131 balls.
SA 132/2 in 43 overs: Bumrah comes round the wicket to Elgar. A single for Elgar at mid wicket after a dot. FIVE-WIDES! That bouncer from Bumrah rocketed from the middle of the pitch and blazed over Pant and to the boundary. Costly for India. Full this time and van der Dussen flicks to mid wicket for one more. A couple more for Elgar at deep mid wicket. There is an issue with the ball and a short interruption in play. The umpires deemed the ball to be too wet and a drier one has been handed to Bumrah. Dot to end the over.
SA 123/2 in 42 overs: Ashwin from the other end. Strays on Elgar's pads and he nudges it behind. The wet outfield holds the ball from running to the boundary and keep it to three. Length on middle and leg to van der Dussen and he shuffles across a bit to tap on leg side. Good stride forward to defend a couple of balls. Ashwin comes round the stumps for the last ball. Length on off and van der Dussen gets an inside edge defending it and it falls short of short leg.
SA 120/2 in 41 overs: Back with live action! The batters are in the middle and van der Dussen will be on strike. Bumrah with the ball. A peach to start off with and that would have woken van der Dussen up! Pitched up on off and moved away with verve. This one tickles onto the pads and whipped away for a couple at fine leg. A couple of nip-backers follow that come off a length on off. van der Dussen gets a thick edge to gully to end the over.
19:00 IST: We are 15 minutes away from Live action after what has been a frustrating wait for the rain to relent and the sun to shine. The lights have come on at the Wanderers.
18:28 IST : Play will resume at 7:15 AM and 34 overs will be played today. Play can be extended till 10:00 PM IST (6:30 PM local time). Game on!
Good news coming in. The covers are off, the umpires are inspecting the conditions and the pitch is uncovered.
17:45 IST: The supersoppers are working on the puddles and it might just be possible to get some play in. However, more rain is expected even as the supersoppers have dried the puddles.
17:23 IST: The rain is showing signs of relenting and the skies are brightening up, along with the hope of having some play today.
16:53 IST: Puddles are forming on the ground but the forecast is for the weather to clear out by 17:30 IST (2:00 PM local time).
16:28 IST: The rain has intensified and the chances of having play today look bleak.
16:12 IST: The covers are back in the middle and the signs are not good.
16:05 IST: The umpires are inspecting the ground and the covers are coming off.
LUNCH DAY 4 - SOUTH AFRICA 118/2, NEEDS 122 RUNS TO WIN
15:27 IST: Lunch will be taken on schedule, at 3:30 PM IST (12:00 PM local time) and the first session is a wash out. Stay tuned for further weather updates. Hopefully the rain gods will relent and allow what promises to be a historic and mouthwatering day of Test cricket.
14:48 IST: The drizzle is harder now and play will be put on hold for a while here.
14:00 IST: The drizzle continues... so does the wait
13:34 IST: Start of play has been officially delayed. Stay tuned for further updates.
13:14 IST: A light drizzle has resumed and the covers are on.
There have been intermittent rains since morning in Johannesburg. But the cloud cover seems to be breaking and play might start on time. The forecast for rain ranges from a 33 percent to 69 percent chance over the course of the day.
DAY 3 REPORT
He doesn’t make a pretty sight at the crease. Dean Elgar took blows on the body on a pitch of uneven bounce but stayed on displaying a heart larger than his frame.
The tenacious southpaw, playing a skipper’s knock, was unbeaten on 46 off 121 balls, and South Africa, pursuing 240, was 118 for two at stumps on the third day of the second Freedom Test at the Wanderers on Wednesday. Day 3 summary here - REPORT
India Playing 11 : KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
South Africa Playing 11 : Dean Elgar (c), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Duanne Olivier, Lungi Ngidi.
COMPLETE SQUADS
WHERE TO WATCH IND VS SA SECOND TEST LIVE
Comments
SHARE