Wilting Proteas hope the heavens open

Stumps day two:

South Africa 39 for 3 (Elgar 27, Ashwin 2-9). India 502 for 7 dec. (Agarwal, 215, Rohit 176, Maharaj 3-189). SA trail by 463 runs

South African players who weren’t familiar with the name Mayank Agarwal are already sick of it after the opener scored a double century to put India firmly in control of the first Test in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

Agarwal’s marathon effort of 215 scored from 371 balls including 23 fours and six sixes, along with a fine 176 from Rohit Sharma in an opening stand of 317, put India in the driving seat.

South Africa were left reeling at 39 for three at stumps after Indian captain Virat Kohli decided his batsmen had inflicted enough misery on the Proteas and declared at 502 for seven.

The declaration, with more than an hour to play, allowed India’s bowling attack to question the Proteas’ brittle batting line-up. They wasted little time in chipping some pieces from it.

Opener Aiden Markram was flummoxed by Ravi Ashwin’s spin and dismissed for five. The ball pitched outside off-stump and spun through a sizeable gap between Markram’s bat and pad.

Theunis de Bruyn (4) and night watchman Dane Piedt (0) fell before the close, leaving Dean Elgar (27) and Temba Bavuma (2) unbeaten at the crease when play ended.

There is an 80% chance of rain on day three and given the precarious position the Proteas are in, they will be hoping the meteorologists are accurate in their forecasts.

It’s difficult to see a way out of the sizeable hole South Africa are in, especially as Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja already appear to have sowed doubt in the minds of the opposing batsmen.

Ashwin’s subtle spin nicked the inside edge of De Bruyn’s bat where wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha took a sharp catch. Piedt simply played for spin that wasn’t there from a wide-of-the-crease delivery from left-arm Jadeja and missed.

While India’s bowlers made the most of their late burst at the Proteas’ batsmen, it was the home side’s opening pair that laid the foundation of what should be a comfortable win from here.

Only otherworldly batting heroics from what remains of South Africa’s top order, or non-stop rain, will deny the home side first blood in the series.

Agarwal and Rohit, who scored 202 on a rain-shortened day one, continued with ease on day two.

Agarwal started the day in sight of his maiden Test century and patiently knocked off the 16 runs he required to reach the landmark while Rohit attacked the lacklustre SA attack.

Rohit added 61 to his overnight total of 115 off an additional 71 balls, He eventually played around a ball from Keshev Maharaj allowing Quinton de Kock to produce a sharp stumping. His 176 came from 244 balls with 23 fours and six sixes.

It ended the third highest opening stand in Indian Test history and finally gave the Proteas a small boost with the second new ball due.

It was taken almost immediately following Rohit’s dismissal. Vernon Philander, who toiled without much luck, was eventually rewarded for his patience. A nipping seamer with his first delivery after lunch clean bowled Cheteshwar Pujara for six.

Agarwal, meanwhile, set about the tired Proteas’ bowling without an obvious willing accomplice, as the new Indian batsmen battled to come to terms with the increasingly fraying pitch.

Kohli fell to debutant Senuran Muthusamy, failing to adjust to a ball that stuck in the surface from the slow left-armer. The Indian captain scooped it back to the surprised bowler, who gratefully accepted the return catch. Kohli departed for 20.

Agarwal accelerated his innings, knowing that his captain wanted to bowl at the Proteas for at least an hour. He pasted the bowling to all parts and reached his double century with two runs to long-on.

After so much hard work and having survived many fine deliveries, it was a rank full toss from occasional spinner Dean Elgar that accounted for Agarwal. The Indian opener clubbed the ball to deep midwicket where Piedt took a good diving catch.

In was an inglorious end to a glorious and almost certain, match-winning innings. DM