His job done, Morkel watched on as South Africa’s spinners made India toil, Harmer using the pitch to his advantage to claim his third four-wicket haul in five Tests.
Advertisement
India also beefed up its batting with Rohit Sharma while dropping allrounder Stuart Binny and pace bowler Varun Aaron. They were bowled out for 82 in Chandigarh in 1990. Indian spinners have been in tremendous form in this series so far and will look to continue their form in this match as well.
Chasing 310 to win on another rank turner, South Africa were 32 for 2 at stumps with Stiaan Van Zyl falling to R Ashwin after scoring just 5.
Imran Tahir, who didn’t bowl much in the first innings, turned things around with his spell.
Steyn had taken 10 wickets in the innings victory notched up by South Africa at this venue five years ago and if he is declared unfit to play it would be huge blow to the visitors’ chances on a track where the ball is expected to keep low.
Virat Kohli’s decision to bat having won the toss dramatically backfired as his side were skittled out, with Morne Morkel (3-35) also at the forefront. The last time India bowled out South Africa for less than 100 runs for in 2006 at Johannesburg when the hosts were skittled for 84.
However, Pujara was bowled by Duminy (1-24) in his very first over. Because of the slow nature of the wicket, not many runs can be scored in front of the wicket. But the left-hander had to pay the penalty for being over-ambitious and perished while attempting a reverse sweep off Tahir. J.P. Duminy was the only South African batsman who managed to put up some resistance to the Indian spinners.
Similar to the first innings, Tahir was sent in as night-watchman to shield the top order batsmen but failed to survive as he was trapped leg before by Mishra. He was not averse to jumping out of the crease and hit two impressive sixes over wide long-on off Jadeja. “I don’t think his injury has recovered sufficiently”, the South African captain said on Tuesday at a press conference. On the other hand, batting woes for Proteas continued as it lost two wickets in just 11 runs on board. The ball hit Amla’s arm and bounced off the back of the bat near the toe end. The ball bounced off wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha’s shoulder and Ajinkya Rahane grabbed it in the slips.
It is going to take something similar from one of the Proteas two great batsmen, Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers, if this target is to be achieved. The deliveries that got rid of de Villiers and du Plessis were classy ones, the first one stopping and deceiving the batsman who put up a return catch and the second turning across the face of the bat and clean bowling du Plessis.
Advertisement
Ravichandran Ashwin and Amit Mishra got India to the highest total of the series so far – 215, helped by Vilas missing a stumping opportunity – but then fell in quick succession as the hosts’ innings met a sudden end.
