South Africa managed to create history as they beat India for the first time in a Test match at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. They chased down 241 superbly and won by seven wickets to level the series 1-1 with one game to go.
The first two sessions were washed out due to rain before play began a few minutes in the post-Tea session. Right from the outset, South Africa seemed to be in the box seat. Skipper Dean Elgar joined forces with Rassie van der Dussen first and then with Temba Bavuma to take the hosts over the line. Elgar was unbeaten on 96, van der Dussen got 40 while Bavuma chipped in with a 23 not out.
India bowled decently but they weren’t consistent enough. There were a few that went past the edge and reared up at the batters due to the inconsistent bounce of the pitch. But the South African batters were up to the task and batted with grit to level the series.
Here are the talking points from Day 4 of the second Test match:
Rain washed out first two sessions
Play didn’t resume on time on the fourth day of this second Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Persistent rain washed out the first two sessions. The rain started much before the start time and continued to frustrate the players and the fans. It finally relented when Tea was taken and 34 overs were allotted for the day.
Rassie van der Dussen sets the tone early
Rassie van der Dussen battled it out on the third evening to stay unbeaten on 11. He had played 37 balls and had faced a thorough examination against a quality Indian bowling attack. But he found a way to bat through to stumps.
Once the rain cleared up on day four and he played out the first few overs, van der Dussen set the tone for the rest of the run-chase. He took a few body blows once again but he put that behind him and scored a crucial 40. There were a flurry of boundaries that flowed from his bat and that shifted the pressure back onto the Indian bowlers. He may have edged one off Mohammed Shami but he had done his job. He had added 82 runs with skipper Dean Elgar batting stoically at the other end.
Dean Elgar leads from the front
Dean Elgar batted magnificently in the second innings of the first Test but his knock of 77 went in vain as South Africa lost by 113 runs (chasing 305). However, he put in another mammoth knock but this time, the result was different. The left-handed opener and South African captain led from the front and smashed a fighting and a stoic 96 not out to take his side to a historic win.
Elgar constantly took blows on his body and there were multiple plays and misses but it didn’t bother him. He concentrated on the next delivery and just kept accumulating the runs. He played second fiddle in almost every partnership but ensured that he was rock solid from his end.
The left-hander struck 10 boundaries on his way to 96 and his running between the wickets was excellent. He barely allowed the Indian bowlers to settle down against him or any of his partners. There was also a bit of chatter going around on the park between him and the Indian fielders but Elgar just put his head down and got the job done for the Proteas.
India’s first Test loss at Johannesburg
Prior to this Test match, South Africa had never beaten India in a Test match at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. India have won two and drawn three at this venue. However, fortresses are being breached and India have been the ones doing it as well in the last year or so. But they were at the receiving end this time around. South Africa finally managed to get one over the line against India at Johannesburg.
The Proteas hunted down 241 and won by seven wickets. Moreover, this is the third-highest run-chase against India by any team in the history of Test cricket. The series is now level at 1-1 with the decider to be played at Newlands, Cape Town.
