Day 3: South Africa in hunt as defiant Elgar takes home team to 118/2 in pursuit of 240
Johannesburg, Jan 5: South African batters, led by their gutsy skipper Dean Elgar, dug their heels in to reach within 122 runs of a series-levelling victory against a determined India as the second Test seemed poised for a gripping fourth day finish here on Wednesday.
Elgar (46 batting off 121 balls) took some nasty blows off deliveries that spat off the cracks but kept his team on course at 118 for 2 in pursuit of a tricky 240-run target set by India in the wake of a solid century-plus partnership from the under-fire duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane.
Shardul Thakur (1/21), who is in the middle of a great Test match, got his eighth victim of the game in an over during which the ball seamed, bounced and kept low from the same spot with the last one finding opener Aiden Markram's (31) pads.
Keegan Petersen (28) added 46 with his skipper before Ravichandran Ashwin (1/14) got one to drift and turn getting a leg before decision going his way.
However, like every new innings in this game where heavy roller has made batting easier by ironing out the divots on the good length spots, Elgar was ready to play the ugly game putting his body on the line, getting hit on knuckles, chest, shoulder and even on head prompting a quick on-field concussion test.
While South Africa will that they have half a foot through the victory door, there has been numerous instances in the series where a batting collapse has changed the course of the game.
There are two things that would keep India worried going into the fourth day.
In this Test, the batting conditions have improved as the match has progressed --- 202, 229, 266 -- and secondly, Mohammed Siraj is far from fit and bowled only four out of the 40 overs sent down till now.
The Indian team, in its mind, knows that it is a bowler short.
While 240 as a target is more than decent, India could have pushed it a bit more had Rishabh Pant's poor shot selection, that incurred legendary Sunil Gavaskar's wrath in the commentary box, not happened at the most inopportune of moments.
Having been hit by a Kagiso Rabada bouncer, Pant charged to another short ball like a raging bull only to be caught behind that prompted Gavaskar to question his sense of "responsibility" urging for the "nonsense" in garb of natural game" to stop.
But it was a day when India's middle order finally came good through combative half-centuries from Pujara and Rahane.
Pujara (53 off 86 balls) and Rahane (58 off 78 balls) gave fresh lease of life to their respective careers with timely knocks while Hanuma Vihari (40 not out) also played a crucial part in swelling India's overall lead as they finished their second innings at 266.
Kagiso Rabada (20-3-77-3) was inspirational in the final half-an-hour before lunch as he brought his team back with quick dismissals.
Marco Jansen (17-4-67-3) and Lungi Ngidi (10.1-1-43-3) also played their parts to perfection.
The Indian middle-order, which has flattered to deceive on most occasions in the past couple of years, did its job and also got some much needed late-order support from Shardul Thakur (28).
Pujara and Rahane, in a rarely seen counter-attacking mode, added 111 runs in just 23.2 overs, getting some breathing space for themselves.
Having understood that time is indeed running out for them, both the batters decided not to try and hang around as they looked for scoring opportunities.
The half volleys were driven imperiously and the width was dispatched disdainfully square off the wicket.
When Jansen bowled one short, Rahane uncorked the slash over point for a six. Pujara's 50 came off 62 balls while Rahane's half-century was completed in 67, signalling that they were trying to show 'intent' and put team's interest above everything else.
They hit 18 fours and a six between them.
There was a time when India were 155 for two with a lead of 128 and it seemed that South Africa's propensity to bowl too short or too full was proving to be damaging.
But then Rabada, South Africa's best exponent of fast bowling since Dale Steyn, produced an inspired show that is so synonymous with the traditional format.
Rabada found that ideal back of length and it landed on the crack to deviate sharply, taking Rahane's edge into keeper Kyle Verreynne's gloves.
Pujara then got one from Rabada in the off-stump channel to be plumb in front despite lunging far forward.
However, the man who disappointed one and all was Pant, who first got a snorter from Rabada that hit his helmet viser when he tried to defend awkwardly, and then he charged to convert a short ball into a half volley. The result was an edge to keeper.
It was Vihari and Shardul, who were involved in a 41-run stand for the seventh wicket and then had two little but enormously important stands of 17 and 21 respectively with tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to set up a good chase for the Proteas.
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2nd WT20I: Shafali, spin trio do star turns in India''s seven-wicket win
Visakhapatnam (PTI): Shafali Verma hit a blistering unbeaten 69 as India made short work of a paltry target to outclass Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the second Women’s T20 International here on Tuesday.
India now lead the five-match series 2-0 after another one-sided victory, having restricted Sri Lanka to a modest 128 for 9 through a collective display of disciplined bowling from the spin trio of seasoned Sneh Rana, ably complemented by young spinners Vaishnavi Sharma and Shree Charani.
During the chase, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (14) fell cheaply but Shafali, enjoying new found confidence after a stellar show in the World Cup final, sent the bowlers on a leather-hunt during her 34-ball knock, winning it for her team in just 11.5 overs.
The hosts have now completed back-to-back successful chases within 15 overs which speaks volumes about the unit's sky-high confidence.
Shafali's innings had 11 punchy boundaries apart from a maximum.
The floodgates opened when left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera bowled a few flighted deliveries and Shafali would step out everytime to hit her over extra cover. Her footwork against slow bowlers was immaculate whether stepping out to loft the ball or rocking back to punch or pull.
Seeing her confidence, the newly appointed Delhi Capitals skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (26 off 15 balls) also attacked as the duo added 58 runs in just 4.3 overs.
By the time Rodrigues was out trying to hit one six too many, the match as a contest was over. Shafali completed her half-century off just 27 balls and completed the formalities in a jiffy.
Earlier, off-spinner Rana, who got a look-in after Deepti Sharma was ruled out due to fever, showed her utility keeping the Lankan batters under tight leash with figures of 1 for 11 in 4 overs, including a maiden which certainly is a rarity in T20 cricket.
Charani, who made an impression during India's ODI World Cup triumph, took 2 for 23 in her quota of overs, while Vaishnavi after an impressive debut in the opening encounter, finished with 2 for 32, not letting the Islanders get easy runs in her second spell.
The last six wickets fell for just 24 runs, but what stood out during India’s bowling effort was their superb ground fielding. After a patchy show in the previous game, the improved sharpness in the field resulted in three run-outs.
Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu (31 off 24 balls) looked in good nick as she deposited length deliveries from seamers Kranti Gaud and Arundhati Reddy over the ropes but it was Rana, who kept her quiet by repeatedly pitching on good length.
Unable to manoeuvre the strike and with the big hits suddenly drying up, Athapaththu chanced her arm at another delivery in which Rana had shortened the length slightly.
Not having transferred the weight into the lofted shot, Athapaththu's hoick was pouched cleanly by Amanjot Kaur at long-off.
This was after Athapaththu's opening partner Vishmi Gunaratne (1) had offered a simple return catch to Gaud.
Hasini Perera (22 off 28 balls) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (33 off 32 balls) did stitch a stand of 44 but they could never set the tempo against the Indian spin troika.
Once Hasini offered a tame return catch off a Charani full-toss, Sri Lankans never recovered and lost wickets in a heap towards the end.
