Winning a test match is seldom easy. But losing a Test is something that every team has done at some point or the other. That is to say, you need to stitch together after session of good play to win the match, but you have an extremely bad session and the game can be lost there.
Right now the way the second Test match is prepared, it seems that South Africa will be defeated. When the third day’s play ended, South Africa were chasing 240 runs at 118 for 2. The captain was halfway at the crease and there were eight wickets to come.
But this is not so easy.
In 2018, against India, at the same venue, South Africa chased down 241 for 1 with Dean Elgar still at the crease. He got out for 177 runs. Then, that pitch was seriously tough, and it was the last day of the Test match. India will know that the pitch has very little ups and downs and also that the roller will be used before morning play – heavier or lighter, will be chosen by the batting team after looking at the conditions – and will ensure that abuse is minimized. , at least for the first hour.
India vs South Africa: full coverage , photos , the schedule , result
That said, this Indian bowling attack is at the height of its powers. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have been constant threats, and haven’t really bowled a single bad spell between them in this series. Shardul Thakur’s success in the first innings and his clear confidence in the second innings and you have an attacking objective to make a breakthrough and then run through a batting line-up.
But the first step is getting ahead of Elgar.
Elgar has performed brilliantly in this innings. He may only be on 46 off 121 balls but has already shown that he has taken from India’s second dig template and is looking positive. Elgar is not the most handsome batsman in the world. In fact, without disrespecting him, he will top the table of the least decent left-handed batsmen. However, there is a certain kind of boxer who doesn’t have an excellent hook or jab, whose arms rarely reach the opponent, and whose feet don’t necessarily set the dance floor on fire. Still, this boxer could be the winner, as he can hit harder for a longer period of time than anyone else around.
This is the philosophy of Elgar’s crease occupation. During the day, as many times as possible, he was hit on the body. He was wearing gloves, ribbed, had a shoulder injury and was even wearing a helmet. Bumrah had only one blow to the head from a stepper, which also stopped him, as he got down on one knee and stabilized himself. After a quick medical check-up for the injury, Elgar was ready to address the next ball.
Read also: ‘The competitive nature of Test cricket brings out the best of Dean Elgar’
Had Elgar’s innings built on courage, India would have only reached a place where they could have pushed South Africa into a corner thanks to the twin innings of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s maturity, wisdom and experience. Pujara may be batting to defend his place in the team in many ways, but it was clear in his heart that the No. 3 batsman was looking to assess the situation and play accordingly, giving his team the best opportunity. So to receive. Setting a target that the bowler can defend.
Rahane was equally practical in his approach. On a bad pitch, against high quality bowlers, spending your time is not an option. No matter how quickly you read the length of the ball and how quickly you get into line play, the red cherry can hit a crack and take off, keep low, or go away or into you. can. At speed, it’s nearly impossible to adjust your stoke late when this happens.
To make the most of such a situation, you need to score runs whenever possible, and thus transfer the pressure back to the bowling unit. The lower the score of the match, the less chance of a mistake. Pujara-Rahane shared a 111-run partnership in 23.2 overs at a run rate of 4.76. This is the second quickest 100-plus stand by an Indian pair in South Africa, after the memorable 222 that Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin added in 39.2 overs at 5.62 in 1997.
Whether or not Pujara and Rahane saved their place in the team – and there is no reason to doubt it – they certainly ensured that their team did the best possible to knockout South Africa and seal the series 2-0. was in position, with a game to play.
Can you really ask any of your senior players?
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