South Africa beat India by seven wickets in second Test, level series

Skipper Dean Elgar led from the front with an unbeaten 96 off 188 balls to take his team home in 67.4 overs

The current Indian pace attack, which has scythed through several batting sides on foreign soil, put the under-fire South Africans under another severe examination. Handed a session to have a crack at the Proteas after the first two were lost to rain on the fourth day, the Indian pacers gave it their all in pursuit of a series-clinching victory in the second Test.

The first ball bowled by stand-in vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, a fast out-swinger that beat Rassie van der Dussen at pace, showed the fiery mood they were in. Bumrah and then Mohammed Shami bowled some impeccable lines and lengths that has brought several batting sides to their knees. Even South Africa were victims in the first Test at Centurion.

The duo and even Shardul Thakur kept asking some tough questions. They targeted the crack outside the right-hander’s off-stump in the hope the ball will do dangerous stuff. It did at times as the empty Wanderers was filled with several sounds of oohs and aahs.

Rassie (40, 92b, 5x4), a 32-year-old playing just his 12th Test and seeking that highlight moment in his career after several years of struggle, was up for the challenge of his life. He quickly put that first-ball snorter from Bumrah behind him and focussed on the job at hand. A naturally attacking batsman, he curbed his instincts to defy the Indians.

At the other end, the obdurate Dean Elgar (96 n.o., 188b, 309m, 10x4) continued to present a dead bat to pretty much every ball. Despite rain wiping out two sessions and some predicted for the final day, he knew his side, resuming on overnight score of 118/2, would overhaul the 240-run target if they batted with discipline and patience. He was aware time was on their side and it’s the Indians who had to force the issue.

Together Elgar and Rassie patiently went about deflating the Indians, eventually scripting a series-levelling win seven-wicket win after reaching 243/3.

The duo left the ball beautifully around the off-stump, didn’t get drawn into playing a false shot as frustration began to rise in the Indian camp. Frustration can lead to desperation and desperation can lead to trying unusual things.

The Indians started bowling either very short or very full, and Rassie and Elgar began to feast on them. They opened their shoulders and boundaries started to flow. The drives, the cuts and byes all sped to the boundaries, the Indian hopes of an elusive series-clinching win in South Africa diminishing with every shot.

The Indians found a breakthrough against the run of play when Shami got the edge of Rassie in the 54th over. With South Africa still needing 65 runs, India sensed an opening from nowhere. They had to get seven wickets and with a bowler down — Mohammed Siraj was battling a hamstring injury and bowled only towards the end — it was a tough task. They never gave up though and kept trying.

Elgar, however, continued to play a captain’s knock, warrior-like six-hour innings that not only carried South Africa (243/3) home but will install a world of confidence for the series decider starting next Tuesday on Cape Town. He batted without losing any concentration and resumed his job of anchoring South Africa in the company of Temba Bavuma. The modus operandi was the same, defend, defend and then play the big shot when it’s in the hitting zone.

Bavuma, the limited-overs captain, played the role Rassie did until he departed. He didn’t try anything extravagant but just stuck to the basics to keep the scoreboard ticking. He just played risk-free cricket and his partnership with Elgar grew, the Indian shoulders began to drop. Thereafter they just went through the motion as South Africa romped home in style, setting the stage for a cracking decider.

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