Advertisement
Tons for Elgar, De Kock put South Africa back on course
Dean Elgar’s 12th test century and Quinton de Kock’s fifth helped South Africa to reach 385-8 by the close of play on the third day of the first test against India at the YS Rajasekhara Reddy Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Friday.
Having been 39-3 overnight and losing a fourth wicket inside the first hour the tourists were facing the prospect of a follow-on but now trail India’s 502-7 declared by just 117 runs with two days to play.
The left-handed Elgar, 32, was at his doughtiest throughout his brilliant 160 which spanned almost seven hours and 287 deliveries.
Although his defence was the key to his success he was also unusually aggressive hitting 18 fours and four sixes, the last of which brought up his hundred.
Elgar slog-swept left arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja for two sixes midway through his innings and took 16 runs from 45th over as he refused to be cowed by the increasingly spin-friendly conditions. The slog-sweep also caused his downfall, however, when Cheteshwar Pujara sprinted in from deep midwicket to take a tumbling catch.
De Kock was in sublime form from the moment he arrived at the crease with his off-side especially sweet, everything coming out of the middle of the bat. He, too, reached his century with a six – a sumptuous ‘inside out’ drive over extra cover against Ravichandran Ashwin but the same bowler had his revenge when one of his non-spinners slid between bat and pad to bowl him for 111 from 163 balls (16x4, 1x6).
'PROBABLY MY BEST'
“Every hundred for your country is special and emotional but I’d like to think it was probably my best for South Africa, especially in such conditions and against the powerhouse of India, the best team in the world,” Elgar said.
“It was very good to contribute today and make a difference to the team and the test match – we always knew it was going to be hard work against quality bowlers on a wearing pitch,” Elgar said after the days play.
“I’m a different cricketer to the one who toured here four years ago,” he said in explaining his success against the spinners. “I’ve played a lot of cricket around the world and concentrating on spin has been a big part of that. It’s good to know I’m still developing and improving as a cricketer.”
“As far as attacking is concerned, it’s about identifying your strengths and hitting the right balls in the right areas, but your defensive game needs to be in good shape first.”
Elgar described the pitches for SA’s last tour in 2015 as “a farce” but heaped praise on fellow centurion de Kock with who he shared a record sixth-wicket stand of 164.
“Quinny was absolutely brilliant – he’s a bit of a genius with the bat, to be honest. I’ve known him a long time as a cricketer and a person and he has so much to contribute to the team.”
Captain Faf du Plessis came to the crease at 63-4 after Temba Bavuma (18) had been trapped lbw by a nip-backer from Ishant Sharma inside the first hour and he added 115 with Elgar during a fighting innings of 55 from 103 balls with eight fours and another slog-swept six.
But an Ashwin offspinner was turned off the full face of the bat into the hands of Pujara at leg gully and South Africa were 178-5.
REVERSED THE PRESSURE
De Kock, however, upped the tempo and reversed the pressure on the home side as he dominated a record sixth-wicket partnership of 164 with Elgar, surpassing the previous mark set by Andrew Hall and Zander de Bruyn in Kanpur in 2004.
A pitch offering increasingly uneven bounce and plenty of turn for the spinners the batsmen have needed some fortune but Elgar has survived just one clear cut chance when
a thick edge off Ravindra Jadeja slipped past the gloves of ‘keeper Wriddhiman Saha.
Debutant Senuran Muthusamy edged his third delivery through the hands of Ajinkya Rahane to get off the mark but then displayed an obdurate defence to reach 12 not out from 60 balls but Vernon Philander was bowled by Ashwin off the inside edge for a ten-ball duck.
Spinners Ashwin and Jadeja bowled 78 overs between them with the former claiming his 27th five-wicket haul (41-11-128-5) and the latter claiming his 200th test wicket in figures of 2-116, the second fastest Indian bowler to reach the landmark – behind Ashwin.
Mayank Agarwal (215) and Rohit Sharma (176) added 317 for the first wicket to lay the platform for India’s massive total of 502-7 in which the persevering Keshav Maharaj claimed 3-189 from a marathon 55 overs.
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
Advertisement