Proteas' top-order wilt after Agarwal double-ton

An opening stand 317 between Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal helped India post a daunting total of 502-7 before South Africa limped to 39-3 at the close of play on the second day of the first test at the YS Rajasekhara Reddy Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj bowled a marathon spell of 55 overs to finish with 3-189 but, despite his workload and team’s perilous position in the match, he was both positive and honest after the day’s play:

“We knew it would be hard work bowling in the first innings but we could have done a better job, we lost control of the run rate a little bit at the back of the innings and we could have bowled better,” Maharaj said.

“It was one of the tougher surfaces I’ve bowled on because of the lack of pace and there wasn’t much turn, but now that that cracks are beginning to open up because of the heat I think it will start turning a lot more for mere.”

With such dramatically different conditions between the first and second innings, it would appear, as is often the case in the subcontinent, that winning the toss goes a long way towards winning the match.

Mayank Agarwal (215) turned his maiden test century into a double becoming just the second batsman in history to score 200+ in his first innings on Indian soil after Australian Dean Jones who scored 210 in 1986 while Rohit Sharma compiled 176 in his first innings as an opener.

Rohit Sharma was finally dismissed in the 82nd over when Maharaj spun one past the outside edge allowing Quinton de Kock to complete a sharp stumping. The burly right-hander faced 244 deliveries striking 23 fours and six sixes.

Four further wickets fell in the afternoon session and all came against the run of play. Cheteshwar Pujara (6) was bowled by Vernon Philander with his first delivery using the second new ball and captain Virat Kohli (20) became Senuran Muthusamy’s first test wicket when a delivery popped off a leading edge back into the bowler's hands.

CAPTAINCY CREDIT

Faf du Plessis earned some captaincy credit for moving Temba Bavuma to short cover moments before Ajinkya Rahane (15) drove Maharaj straight to him.

The opening partnership of 317 between Rohit and Agarwal was just the 14th triple century opening partnership in test history, the 12th highest overall and the second-highest in India after the 413 runs shared by Pankaj Roy and Vinoo Mankad against New Zealand in Chennai in 1956.

Agarwal (215) was eventually undone by a full-toss from part-timer Dean Elgar which he slogged to deep midwicket as India accelerated in pursuit of quick runs and a declaration. He faced 371 deliveries and struck 23 fours and six sixes against a wilting South African attack.

The persevering Keshav Maharaj (55-6-189-3) collected a third consolation wicket when Hanuma Vihari (10) was caught in the deep but it is unlikely that offspinner Dane Piedt (19-1-107-1) felt much consolation when Wriddhiman Saha (21) departed in similar fashion shortly before the declaration.

Piedt’s miserable test match continued when he was bowled for a four-ball duck as night watchman shortly before the close of play.

South Africa’s hopes of surviving the day unscathed were scuppered by Ravichandran Ashwin (8-4-9-2) who bowled Aiden Markram (5) with a classic offspinner before having Theunis de Bruyn (4) caught behind by Saha via a thin inside edge.

'WE SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER'

“The toss plays a role, it is a big factor, no doubt, but we still should have done better with the ball,” Maharaj said before defending his fellow spinners Dane Piedt (1-107) and Senuran Muthusamy (1-63).

“The openers batted superbly. If a batsman comes down the wicket and hits you back over your head it doesn’t make it a bad ball, it’s a good shot. Everything they did to put us under pressure worked for them. On another day they hit the ball to a fielder. Considering Sen is more of a batting allrounder I thought his introduction to test cricket went really well,” Maharaj said.

“We need to focus on the next session and put the last one behind us, there’s no point focussing on the negative – we need to focus on the positive and try to get as close to their total as we can.”

Opener Agarwal was suitably delighted with his innings and the partnership with Rohit:

“I am extremely happy, it’s difficult to put my feelings into words,” said 28-year-old Agarwal who has been one of India’s most consistent scorers in domestic cricket without being able to force his way into the national team.

“It was fantastic for the team that me and Rohit could bat for so long and set up this total. It was fantastic to watch him bat, especially the way he dominated against the spinners.

“I have had many different emotions while I waited for my chance but basically I just told myself that I need to keep performing and be patient,” Agarwal said before handing the tourists a warning about their prospects for the remaining three days.

“The pitch has definitely changed a lot already – by tea today the ball was keeping low which is a good sign for us. Our spinners will get plenty of purchase.”

A battling Dean Elgar (27*) and Temba Bavuma (2*) will resume on the third morning with the tourists still trailing by 463 runs on a deteriorating pitch offering increasing turn for the spinners.

Report Day 1

INDIA: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami

SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Theunis de Bruyn, Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis (capt), Quinton de Kock (wk), Vernon Philander, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada