2nd Test, Day 1: South Africa 35/1 at stumps, trail India by 167 runs
Ajinkya Rahane, Pujara flop show continues as Indian middle-order disappoints again
Johannesburg, Jan 3: Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane's saga of failures compounded a shoddy batting performance by India even as stand-in skipper KL Rahul impressed with a defiant show amid the ruins on the opening day of the second Test against South Africa here on Monday.
Rahul's patient 50-run knock on a day when India missed Virat Kohli due to back spasms and Ravichandran Ashwin's cavalier 46 at the rear end ensured that India scored 202 in their first innings on a bouncy Wanderers track.
At stumps, Mohammed Shami sent back Aiden Markram even as Dean Elgar (11 batting) and Keegan Peterson (14 batting) took South Africa to 35 for 1. It could have been two down had Rishabh Pant snapped Peterson off Jasprit Bumrah, which seemed a regulation catch.
Worse, Mohammed Siraj hobbled off with what looked like a hamstring strain and if it's bad news, then India would be left with four bowlers.
However, a lot of blame should go to India's batters as some like Pujara didn't show intent to score while others like Rahane seemed completely short of confidence.
It prompted the legendary Sunil Gavaskar to say it as it is on air, "I think the next innings will be their last chance."
Having given up hopes to play for England, Duanne Olivier (3/67 in 17 overs), playing his first game for South Africa in three years, dismissed Pujara (3 off 33 balls) and Rahane (0) off successive deliveries to make it difficult for the Indians.
Marco Jansen (4/31 in 17 overs), with his giant frame, created awkward lengths for every Indian batter while Kagiso Rabada (3/64 in 17.1 overs), despite not being at his best, got wickets when it mattered.
In his first game as captain, Rahul concentrated hard as he played 133 deliveries. He was peppered with short balls. He would sway to some and duck the others while pulling the ones that he could.
His back-foot driving was majestic and he rode the bounce while going for the flashy cut shots.
Such is beauty of sport that Rahul, who till five months ago wasn't supposed to start as an opener in England, is now being groomed as an all-format India captain.
If the first day composure is any indication, he won't do a bad job.
But then there was a moment's indiscretion when he played one pull shot too many and holed out in the fine leg region.
Prior to that shot, the occasional pull that he played, Rahul rolled his bat over and tried to keep it down the ground but in this case, he got under the Jansen short ball and didn't get the required elevation.
He had a nice little partnership of 42 runs with Hanuma Vihari (20) before an inspirational close-in catch from Rassie Van der Dussen at short leg sent the latter back.
Rishabh Pant (17) and an attacking Ashwin (24 batting 21 balls) added 40 in quick time but what India needed was a partnership of at least 75 if not 100.
At the start, Mayank Agarwal (26) looked fluent in the first hour with five boundaries before Jansen pitched one in the spot from where it wasn't on drivable length as it climbed on. The opener went for a drive only to edge that to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.
Rahul, on his part, survived strong caught behind and leg before appeals which were negated by debutant umpire Allahudien Palekar, someone who impressed on debut.
But what would disappoint Pujara and Rahane most is that on a day when they should have taken more responsibility in Kohli's absence, they couldn't even inject a sense of positivity in India's approach.
The manner in which Pujara hopped and skipped to rising deliveries actually would have made the dressing room feel jittery about demons in the pitch which wasn't the case. But there was definitely seam and bounce which one expects here in South Africa.
He once again got into a shell and was very uncomfortable against steep bounce which finally became his undoing.
Olivier's natural back of length deliveries were perfect recipe for disaster as he fended one that was wide of the short leg fielder but the next one lobbed up to the man at point for an easy catch.
Rahane's dismissal was that of a player, whose confidence has been torn to pieces.
The ball pitched on the fourth stump channel, created indecision on whether to play or not and Rahane dangled his bat for the catch to be taken in the slips.
This match will certainly not last the distance and if they can't make a difference in the second innings, the enormous patience that the Indian team management has shown towards them will definitely start wearing thin.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
US warns shipping firms they could face sanctions over paying Iranian tolls in Strait of Hormuz
Dubai (AP): The United States is warning shipping companies that they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The alert posted Friday by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control adds another layer of pressure in the standoff between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
About a fifth of the world's trade in oil and natural gas typically passes through the strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf in peacetime.
Iran effectively closed the strait to normal traffic by attacking and threatening to attack ships after the US and Israel launched a war on Feb. 28. It later began offering some ships safe passage by detouring them through alternate routes closer to its shoreline, charging fees at times for the service.
That "tollbooth” effort is the focus of the US sanctions warning.
The payment demands could include transfers not only in cash but also “digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments,” including chartibale donations and payments at Iranian embassies, OFAC said.
“OFAC is issuing this alert to warn US and non-US persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage. These risks exist regardless of payment method,” it said.
ALSO READ: Student preparing for NEET dies after falling from hostel's fourth floor in Kota
The US responded to Iran's closure of the strait with a naval blockade of its own on April 13, preventing any Iranian tankers from leaving and depriving Iran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.
The US Central Command said 45 commercial ships have been told to turn around since the blockade began.
Trump rejects Iranian proposal
--------------------------------------
The warning came as US President Donald Trump swiftly rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the war between the countries.
“They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens,” Trump said Friday at the White House. He didn't elaborate on what he saw as its shortcomings but expressed frustration with the Iranian leadership.
“It's a very disjointed leadership,” Trump said. “They all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up.”
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported Iran handed over its plan to mediators in Pakistan on Thursday night.
The shaky three-week ceasefire between the US and Iran appears to be holding, though both countries have traded accusations of violations. The standoff is increasingly putting pressure on the global economy, driving up prices and leading to shortages of fuel and other products tied to the oil industry.
Negotiations continued by phone after Trump called off his envoys' trip to Pakistan last week, the president said. Trump this week floated a new plan to reopen the critical passageway used by America's Gulf allies to export their oil and gas.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has briefed many of his regional counterparts on the country's initiatives to end the ear, according to his social media. He also held talks Friday with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who is in contact with the EU's Gulf partners.
China's UN envoy urges Iran to lift restrictions
------------------------------------------------------
Fu Cong, the Chinese ambassdor to the United Nations, said Friday that maintaining the ceasefire is “the most urgent issue" as well as bringing together the sides to resume good faith negotiations “to make sure that the ground is laid for reopening of Hormuz.”
Foreign Minister Wang Yi “has been on the phone almost constantly” with representatives from all sides, Fu said, adding that China supports Pakistan's efforts to mediate between the parties.
Fu stressed the root cause of the tremendous suffering in Iran and neighboring countries and the growing turmoil in the global economy, especially in developing countries, “is the illegitimate war by the US and Israel.
