Another 11-wicket day at the Wanderers in the second Test between South Africa and India saw the game tantalisingly poised for a cracking third day. India, 58 runs ahead in their second innings with eight wickets in hand, will look to set a target of at least 250 for South Africa. And to use the oft-repeated cliche, the first session will be of utmost importance tomorrow.
The overnight South African batters, Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen, were not troubled early on, adding 29 in the first hour of the day. Petersen opened up with two fours off Mohammed Siraj in the first over of the day. Siraj did not look one hundred percent fit – presumably after yesterday's hamstring pull – and could bowl only six overs across two spells.
Elgar’s long vigil (28 in 120 balls) at the crease came to an end when he nicked one off Shardul Thakur to Rishabh Pant. Petersen soon reached his maiden Test fifty with a four through point off Mohammed Shami, and celebrated the milestone with two more in the same over.
But he became Thakur’s second victim when he nicked an outswinger to second slip, for 62. Thakur picked up his third at the stroke of lunch when Rassie van der Dussen was given caught behind. Van der Dussen walked, but subsequent replays suggested that it might have been a bump catch. South Africa went to 102/4 at lunch, exactly 100 runs behind.
Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne added 60 runs after lunch. As Verreynne looked to anchor the innings, Bavuma played his shots. However, Thakur returned to dismissed both, first Verreynne (21), then Bavuma (51). Bavuma hit six fours and a six. This was Thakur's first five-wicket haul in Test cricket, but he was not done yet.
The South African bowlers played their shots. Shami got Kagiso Rabada cheaply, but valuable contributions came from Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj. They scored 21 each to help South Africa past India’s 202. Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Maharaj respectively before Thakur picked up Jansen and Lungi Ngidi to finish with 7-61, his best figures in First-class cricket as well as the best by an Indian anywhere against South Africa in Test cricket.
South Africa finished on 229, and K.L. Rahul and Mayank Agarwal set out to erase the 27-run deficit. Jansen soon induced a nick off Rahul, which was caught by Aiden Markram at slip. There were some doubts over the verdict, but the third umpire confirmed the dismissal. Agarwal went next, for 23, when he did not offer a shot to a Duanne Olivier delivery that cut back sharply and hit on his pad and he was given leg before.
The last eight overs of the day produced some fascinating, even uncharacteristic strokeplay from Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Pujara, in particular, emerged from his shell to play some beautifully timed shots to finish the day on 35, from 42 balls, with seven fours. Rahane remained unbeaten on 11.
Brief scores: India 202 (K.L. Rahul 50; Marco Jansen 4-31) and 85/2 (Cheteshwar Pujara 35*; Marco Jansen 1-18) lead South Africa 229 (Keegan Petersen 62; Shardul Thakur 7-61) by 58 runs.