The Indian team is visiting South Africa, which is unofficially billed as the clash for the world championship in test cricket. The Indian team is led by Virat Kohli who was in sublime form last year and emerged as the worlds best batsman.
The South African captain Faf Du Plessis had warned India that things won't be easy in South Africa. He said that South Africa had a score to settle with India after the African team lost all their test matches in India during their last tour. This time as reported by News 18, the Indian team is tottering at 28 for 3 with Virat Kohli back in the pavilion for just five, c Quinton de Kock b Morne Morkel.
His getting out was a dampener. It also exposed the Indan weakness against seam bowling on a grassy wicket
South Africa bat
Du Plessis won the toss at Cape Town and elected to bat on a grassy wicket favoring seam bowlers. It was a good toss to lose and the Indian seamers led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar did a splendid job by reducing South Africa to 10 for 3, including the prize wicket of their best batsman Hashim Amla. The batsman sporting a long beard like a devout Muslim was unable to negotiate a moving delivery by Bhuvnesh and was caught behind by Wirddhman Saha, the wicketkeeper.
South Africa did well after that and some good batting by De Villiers and the captain saw them reach 286. The green top wicket had helped the Indian seam bowlers.
But 286 may not have been reached if Mohammed Shami the second Indian fast bowler had got into his rhythm. In addition, Shikhar Dhawan dropped a catch in the slip cordon of Keshav Maharaj when he had just come in. He hit a quickfire 35 before being run out.
Indian failure
The Indian team should have batted with greater purpose.
They had an awkward 11 overs to play out before stumps were drawn. The Indian batsmen led by the openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murli Vijay gave a poor exhibition of batting on a grassy wicket and were soon back in the pavilion. The Indian skipper set a poor example and was out for 5.Kohli chased a ball outside the off stump and got a faint nick.Being the captain of the side, this is not the way you should play at the end of the day.
As Sunil Gavaskar commented, his getting out has needlessly put the other Indian batsmen under great pressure.
Test result
The test is not yet over and the stolid Cheteshwar Pujara is still at the wicket along with Rohit Sharma. The South African pacemen have their tales up and Morkel and Steyn will, however, be difficult to negotiate when the play resumes tomorrow. One cannot hazard a guess but it looks like that this test will end in a South African victory. It will once again prove the statement of Sunil Gavaskar, made some time back that the Indian team is a tiger at home but a pussycat abroad.
