1st Test: Jadeja Takes Four As South Africa Slump To 93/7, Lead India By 63 Runs (ld)

1st Test: Jadeja takes four as South Africa slump to 93/7, lead India by 63 runs (ld) (Image Source: IANS)

Ravindra Jadeja spun a web around South Africa’s batting line-up to claim four wickets while bowling from the Pavilion End as the visitors were reduced to 93/7 in 35 overs at stumps on Day Two of the first Test at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Though South Africa has a lead of 63 runs, Jadeja picking 4-29 meant the game is still on a knife-edge, especially after 16 wickets fell on the second day.

After dismissing India for 189, with the hosts having a slender 30-run lead, South Africa appeared to have levelled the contest, especially with Shubman Gill absent from the field after retiring hurt for four due to a neck spasm. But their batting collapsed under the pressure of high-quality spin and questionable shot selection, thus handing India the advantage at the close of day’s play.

The challenging two-paced pitch continues to play its tricks, with variable bounce and sharp turn making batting increasingly difficult. While a chase of 125 would look steep, it would require South Africa to nearly double their current lead, which is no easy task on this surface.

In the morning, off-spinner Simon Harmer picked four wickets as India were bowled out for 189, though the hosts took a slender 30-run lead. Much like South Africa’s first innings on day one, India’s batting display was marked by modest contributions and a lack of substantial partnerships, with the 57-run stand between KL Rahul and Washington Sundar being the highest partnership.

Rahul was the only batter from India to cross the 30-run mark, as the hosts' innings unravelled quickly – from 153/4, India lost their last five wickets for just 36 runs to be dismissed for 189. For South Africa, Harmer extracted turn well and varied his pace beautifully on a challenging two-paced pitch with uneven bounce to grab figures of 4-30, while Marco Jansen took 3-35.

In the morning, Rahul and Washington Sundar did brilliantly to navigate and get runs in the face of tough batting conditions. While Rahul got going to get fours off Maharaj and Marco Jansen en route to be the 18th Indian batter to amass 4,000 Test runs, Sundar looked assured in clipping Jansen for four, before sweeping and lofting Maharaj for four and six respectively.

South Africa’s plan to bring in Harmer worked when he got a sharp turn to square up Sundar, and the outside edge was caught by first slip. Gill looked elegant in sweeping Harmer for four before retiring hurt immediately due to a freak neck spasm. Despite that, Rahul took up an aggressive route by dancing down the pitch to whip Maharaj for six.

Rishabh Pant, playing in international cricket for the first time after recovering from the fractured right foot sustained in Manchester, was dropped by Aiden Markram at slip and got a boundary off Harmer. On the very next ball, Pant launched Maharaj over long-off for six.

Though Maharaj had Rahul caught at first slip for 39, Pant dispatched him over long-on for another six and went past Virender Sehwag to hold the record for most sixes by an Indian batter in Tests.

But a few minutes before lunch break, Pant attempted to pull off Corbin Bosch’s rising delivery, and the top-edge was caught by the keeper, with Jurel and Jadeja seeing off the rest of the deliveries till lunch break came.

The second session began with Jurel being exquisite in his timing to cut and drive off Corbin Bosch for boundaries, while Jadeja played a beautiful leaning drive past cover for another four. Harmer struck again when, on his tossed-up delivery, Jurel was quick in closing bat face early, and the leading edge was grabbed by the off-spinner to complete a simple caught and bowled chance.

After India managed to get the lead, Harmer came back to trap Jadeja lbw with his skiddy delivery, with the all-rounder also burning a review. One brought two for South Africa as Kuldeep Yadav nicked a down leg delivery to keeper Kyle Verreynne off Jansen, who later rattled Mohammed Siraj’s off-stump.

Harmer completed his four-fer by having Axar Patel caught at backward point, and with Gill not walking out to bat, India’s innings ended only one run short of 190. South Africa’s second innings began on a scorching note as Jasprit Bumrah troubled Rickelton with pace and bounce, and even hit him a couple of times on the body, though the batter still managed to pick two boundaries.

Axar, taking the new ball ahead of Siraj, bowled a disciplined line to ensure Rickelton and Aiden Markram were kept in check. The breakthrough from Kuldeep came at the stroke of tea, when his fuller and straight ball trapped Rickelton lbw for 11.

The final session began with Aiden Markram going for a sweep off Jadeja, but the ball took a thick top edge and was caught by Dhruv Jurel at short leg. Then, in the 17th over, got some turn to take Wiaan Mulder’s outside edge and was caught by keeper-cum-stand-in captain Rishabh Pant.

Two balls later, Tony de Zorzi was undone by a turn from Jadeja that grazed his glove, hit the pad, and was caught by Jurel at short leg. Though Temba Bavuma continued to hit boundaries, South Africa was losing wickets from the other end – Jadeja got one to just straighten in and go past Tristan Stubbs’ outside edge to hit top of off-stump, while Kyle Verreynne’s slog-sweep made for an ugly look as Axar Patel rattled his middle stump.

Though Bavuma was unbeaten on 29, India had another breakthrough before stumps when Kuldeep Yadav found a thin edge on Marco Jansen’s attempted slog sweep, and KL Rahul at first slip managed to hold on after an initial fumble. With day three possibly becoming the last day of this topsy-turvy game, everything is still there to play for both India and South Africa.

Two balls later, Tony de Zorzi was undone by a turn from Jadeja that grazed his glove, hit the pad, and was caught by Jurel at short leg. Though Temba Bavuma continued to hit boundaries, South Africa was losing wickets from the other end – Jadeja got one to just straighten in and go past Tristan Stubbs’ outside edge to hit top of off-stump, while Kyle Verreynne’s slog-sweep made for an ugly look as Axar Patel rattled his middle stump.

South Africa 159 and 93/7 in 35 overs (Temba Bavuma 29 not out, Marco Jansen 13; Ravindra Jadeja 4-29, Kuldeep Yadav 2-12) lead India 189 all out in 62.2 overs (KL Rahul 39, Washington Sundar 29; Simon Harmer 4-30, Marco Jansen 3-35) by 63 runs

Article Source: IANS