Related Links: India Tour of South Africa 2013/14 – Schedule | SA Vs Ind, 1st Test at Johannesburg – Scorecard
South Africa are left with 8 wickets to save the First Test on Day 5 at Johannesburg. Practically they are a player short as Morne Morkel, who injured his right ankle on Day 3 will only bat if required. It will not be an easy job at all for India to take the remaining South African wickets as they will be up against a quality and longish batting line-up besides the imminent threat of a thunderstorm on Sunday.
Virat Kohli reacts after getting dismissed for 96
There are enough runs in the bag for MS Dhoni to defend having left South Africa with an improbable target of 458. South Africa got off to an ideal opening start of 108 which even entertained prospects of going after the target on the final day. However, the hosts lost two big wickets before the close of play on the penultimate day.
The hosts are 138 for 2 in 45 overs with Alviro Petersen batting fluently on 76 from 148 balls with 9 fours. Giving him company is Faf du Plessis, who is on 10 from 37 balls. The Indians think Faf du Plessis is a night watchman but the Proteas would say they were simply resting Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers for their heavy workload on the field.
India had to work really hard to make inroads in the South African second innings. The much needed breakthrough came from a brilliant piece of fielding from Ajinkya Rahane at mid on. Graeme Smith used his feet to drive R Ashwin to Rahane before running for a risky single. In a flash, Rahane pounced onto the ball and fired a full toss onto the stumps to run out Graeme Smith by a whisker. Skipper Graeme Smith scored 44 from 73 balls with 6 fours.
Late in the day’s play, Mohammed Shami produced an unplayable short delivery that got out Hashim Amla. For the second time in the match, Hashim Amla got bowled without offering any shot. It was an attempted bouncer from Shami and Amla who picked the length early sat down quite early. However, to his shock, the ball hit a crack and stayed very low to brush his arm and hit the off stump! Amla (10) could have been possibly lbw had he not been bowled.
After Amla’s exit, there were worries of the SA batsmen getting injured by the fast bowlers in gloomy conditions. The Umpires were looking to call off the day but MS Dhoni got through the remaining overs using spin and slow medium pace. While R Ashwin kept going at one end, extracting good amount of turn, at the other end was Murali Vijay with an over of off spin. After that it was none other than the Indian Skipper MS Dhoni getting rid of his keeping gear and bowling a couple of overs, banging the ball short around 118 kmph to gain respect from the two SA batsmen. While Dhoni was bowling, Virat Kohli took over the keeping gloves.
MS Dhoni for four overs was either keeping to R Ashwin or bowling himself. The Indian Captain also went onto keep wickets without having any pads. So did Virat Kohli for an over. This instance now is the first ever time that Wicket Keepers of both the teams had a bowl in the history of Test Cricket.
Earlier in the day, South Africa bowled out India for 421 in 120.4 overs. Vernon Philander and Jacques Kallis took three wickets each while there were a couple of cheap wickets in the end for Imran Tahir. JP Duminy bowled well to get a couple of big wickets while Dale Steyn was left wicketless for 30 overs!
The morning session saw Cheteshwar Pujara score yet another 150+ score in his first-class career. Pujara got out trying to manufacture a cut shot off Kallis to get caught behind for 153 (from 270 balls with 21 fours). The Cheteshwar Pujara-Virat Kohli partnership for the 3rd wicket sealed the match for India by putting up 222 runs!
Rohit Sharma got out cheaply, clean bowled by a Kallis delivery which hit a crack and skidded through with low bounce. Virat Kohli disappointingly missed out on his second century of the match as he got out edging a late cut off a Duminy straighter one to the keeper. Kohli’s 96 came in 193 balls with 9 fours.
Ajinkya Rahane, who played a crucial little knock in the first innings was also out to Duminy’s straighter one which he tamely edged to slip. After lunch, R Ashwin got out with a leading edge off a harmless delivery from Vernon Philander. That was followed up with MS Dhoni’s upper cut off the same bowler which flew into the hands of deep point. Dhoni’s damage was cut short to a 44-ball 29 by the hosts. Zaheer Khan’s fireworks of 29* with a couple of lovely sixes off Imran Tahir and Dale Steyn ensured that India got sufficient lead.
Vernon Philander
Match Video: Only Rain can save South Africa from defeat says Vernon Philander
