(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Virat Kohli led by example with a batting showcase as India stayed in
contention on the third day of the second Test against South Africa at
SuperSport Park yesterday.
Kohli hit a masterly 153 in India's first innings of 307 to stay in
touch in Centurion, even though South Africa stretched a 28-run first
innings lead to 118 by scoring 90 for two in their second spell at bat
on a storm-shortened afternoon.
India are slightly behind going into day four despite Kohli's innings
and two early wickets from opening bowler Jasprit Bumrah, but they could
justifiably feel that they were still in with a chance of levelling the
three-match series following South Africa's 72-run win in the first
Test in Cape Town.
Kohli had lamented India's poor batting in Cape Town and he could not
have provided a better demonstration of how to handle South Africa's
four-pronged pace attack.
In a model of concentration, good judgement and occasional breathtaking
strokes, Kohli batted for 380 minutes, faced 217 balls and hit 15 fours.
It was his 21st Test century to go along with 15 half-centuries, the
best conversion rate since Don Bradman of any batsman who has passed 50
more than 30 times.
He was last man out when he was caught in the deep off Morne Morkel,
hitting to one of eight fielders on the boundary as he tried to squeeze
some extra runs with his tailenders having shown they were ill-equipped
to handle fast bowlers wielding the second new ball. Morkel finished
with four for 60, taking the last three wickets, including that of
Ishant Sharma, who could only fend a vicious bouncer to short leg.
Kohli received minimal support from his team-mates, with Murali Vijay
(46) and Ravichandran Ashwin (38) the only other batsmen to reach the
twenties.
Ashwin helped Kohli add 71 off 87 balls for the seventh wicket but he
lived dangerously after being peppered by short-pitched balls from
Kagiso Rabada at the start of his innings.
India's cause was not helped by two needless run-outs. Following
Cheteshwar Pujara's first-ball dismissal on Sunday, Hardik Pandya
started off for a risky single when he played the ball to mid-on. He was
sent back by Kohli and then committed the cricketing sin of failing to
ground either his foot or his bat as Vernon Philander's throw hit the
stumps. South Africa's second innings got off to a poor start as Bumrah
reduced them to three for two. Aiden Markam was Bumrah's first victim,
falling leg before wicket as he played back to a ball which cut back and
kept low. Bumrah followed up with the wicket of Hashim Amla, who was
also trapped on the back foot by a similar delivery. Both batsmen were
so palpably in front of their stumps that neither sought a review.
India had opened the bowling with off-spinner Ashwin and he troubled
left-handed opening batsman Dean Elgar. But Elgar survived to share an
unbroken 87-run partnership with AB de Villiers, who batted confidently
to be on 50 not out. Elgar was unbeaten on 36.
A thunderstorm interrupted play for an hour when South Africa were 68
for two. It resumed for another 27 minutes under gloomy skies with the
floodlights on before bad light ended the day. Both batsmen survived
some anxious moments, in particular Elgar, who on 29 edged Bumrah at
catchable height between wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel and first slip
Pujara.
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