Have you seen the popular meme featuring a dog with a top hat sitting without a care in the world inside a flaming room? Sune Luus (65, 164b, 6x4,1x6)) and Marizanne Kapp (69 n.o, 125b, 8x4)) embodied that image at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on day two of the one-off Test between India and South Africa on Saturday.
After India declared with 603/6 on the board, South Africa had the unenviable task of keeping a blood-thirsty Indian spin arsenal at bay while braving heat and humidity like they’d never experienced before.
Skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch got off to an assured start in the six overs of play the side got before lunch.
Harmanpreet Kaur deployed an over of spin with Sneh Rana sharing the new ball, but the openers saw her off safely. India has managed to cut Wolvaardt’s opportunities to whip out her signature cover drive, something the captain had prepared for in the run-up to the fixture.
Post lunch, a battle ensued between Sneh and Wolvaardt in the eighth over. With a tight field in place anticipating errors from the skipper, Sneh began with fuller deliveries to try and test the skipper on the pads and to draw out a shot.
Sneh appealed for LBW off the second delivery courtesy of a turning delivery that looked like it had rapped the right-hander on the pad.
The review showed India woefully off the mark with the ball missing the leg stump by a mile. The Indians laughed it off, with Rajeshwari Gayakwad pulling Sneh’s leg for the blip.
But it would be the Indian offie who had the last laugh when she reduced an otherwise graceful classical batter like Wolvaardt to an awkwardly bent mess as a low ball struck her on the pads.
Sneh later revealed that she particularly cherished this wicket, having manifested it in training leading into the game.
Sneh Rana celebrates the wicket of South Africa’s Wolvaardt in their one-off Test at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu
Bosch’s resistance continued with the ball progressively coming onto the bat nicely. Harmanpreet tested the Proteas with tight fields allowing no room to find runs. Bosch and Luus, who came in at number three, were happy to allow India its experiments, only bothering to punish the oddball in their slot.
Pooja Vastrakar was given plenty of protection on the offside to curb any use of the shorter boundary side and to get on the visitor’s nerves just a little. Bosch eventually replied with a six, smoking Rajeshwari over long-on for six.
South Africa could not score at the pace India had managed so effortlessly for three and a half sessions. One’s wicket held more value than any audacious runs. Luus took on Deepti, picking her lines perfectly to place the ball in the gaps. A few overs later, she smashed Sneh for a six, a clean strike over long-on.
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South African batters had a spin camp a few weeks ago, keeping key assignments in the subcontinent including a T20 World Cup in mind. The dividends were there for all to see.
Sneh then got India the breakthrough, with a back-of-a-length delivery to Bosch moving outside off, She drew a shot out of the South African who reluctantly bit the bait and edged the ball to Deepti at first slip. Kapp joined Luus in the middle and India went on to hit a brick wall for most part of the afternoon.
Marizanne Kapp and Sune Luus’ partnership frustrated India for most part of the afternoon in their one-off Test in Chennai. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu
The pair went on to a 93-run stand in 176 balls, wearing the Indian attack out. Luus revealed that Smriti Mandhana walked up to her and asked if she should bring herself on with the ball (Smriti had dismissed Luus for her first international wicket in the second ODI a few days ago in Bengaluru).
While the mood was light, the burden of seeing out the day was on Luus and Kapp’s shoulders and the two played their parts to perfection. Luus took no risks, deadbatting and defending anything tempting.
As promised, Smriti even came on to bowl a couple of overs of right-arm medium pace, but in vain. The visitors were comfortably settled with the pitch – despite visible wear and tear – offering little to no assistance for the bowler, regardless of pace or spin.
Deepti believed she had Luus trapped leg before in the 43rd over and reviewed a not out call only to find the impact well outside off. A couple of deliveries later, Sneh gave the former South African skipper a lifeline on 44 when she dropped her at first slip.
Luus eventually brought up her maiden Test fifty and her first in the last 26 international outings with an elegant sweep to square leg for four.
Kapp, at the other end, underlined why she was in the form of her life, maintaining a one-day strike rate as she kept the Protean scoreboard ticking.
The allrounder thumped the ball past the nonstriker for four to bring up her own half century.
Deepti gave India a breather removing Luus, caught leg before with the ball heading into the middle stump. Sneh sent Delmi Tucker back for an eight-ball duck.
Deepti Sharma in action against South Africa at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu
By this time, Kapp, her shirt soaked in sweat, was starting to feel the pinch of the conditions. She needed physio attention for cramps in the back and leg and plenty of hydration but managed to see the day through unscathed with Nadine de Klerk, the pair putting on an unbeaten 38-run stand for fifth wicket, with South Africa ending day two at 236/4 in 72 overs.
Earlier, Harmanpreet and Richa Ghosh picked up from where India left off at the end of day one, each quickly getting to their half centuries. This was particularly sweet for the India captain who finally registered her maiden fifty-plus score in the format in her ninth batting inning.
The Indian dugout looked like it wanted to give its batters time to get to their centuries, however, the skipper in the 113th over to Tumi Sekhukune courtesy a brilliant review from the side. Sekhukune sent a length ball angling into Harmanpreet which hit her on the pads.
The umpire was unconvinced and the call went upstairs where the ball was seen heading right into the middle of middle stump.
Mlaba then took out Richa three overs later with the Indian keeper-batter trying to sweep in vain, copping the ball on her pads. A review found the ball heading into the leg stump and brought the curtains down on Richa and India’s innings, the declaration call coming from the dugout.
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