It has become too dark out there and the players are coming out. Just as India were being tested by Dale Steyn, they are coming off. We’ll have to see if play will resume today.
IND 180/1 | Overs 58 | Vijay 90*, Pujara 58*
Vijay has moved into the 90s. He started the session after tea with a four off Peterson. He later charged to Peterson twice and then carted him over the leg-side for fours.
It;s Tea on Day One of the first Test and India are on 163 for one. Excellent performance by Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay. 87 runs added in the second session. They started off aggressively, slowed down towards the end.
IND 155/1 | Overs 51 | Vijay 74*, Pujara 49*
Steyn is back into the attack and is testing Murali Vijay. The ball is reversing. After a few short deliveries, he’s making the ball to swirl in to Vijay. The batsman didn’t move his feet at all. It was a fiery over from from Steyn.
IND 154/1 | Overs 47 | Vijay 74*, Pujara 48*
Peterson is into the attack and is trying to keep things tight. He invites Pujara forward and the batsman obliges by dancing down the track and working it through mid-wicket for a four. He moves to 48 and is only two runs away from his fifty. India also have moved past 150 now and these two are looking very solid in the centre.
IND 145/1 | Overs 43 | Vijay 71*, Pujara 42*
South Africa have bowled a lot tighter as there have been two maiden overs in succession. As a result, Graeme Smith summons Robin Peterson when a bit of pressure is on. Philander comes into the attack and bowls in Vijay’s half again. He plants his front foot forward and carts it through the gap between cover and mid-off for four. That was absolutely smashed by Vijay. He then gets width and he cuts it over the off-side for another four.
IND 136/1 | Overs 39 | Vijay 62*, Pujara 42*
The South Africans are bowling a bit short here. Vijay gets one outside the off stump and he flays at it. It takes the edge and flies over the slips for a four. Later, Morkel strays on Pujara’s body and is worked away for a four.
IND 121/1 | Overs 34 | Vijay 55*, Pujara 38*
Pujara gets right behind the length deliveries Steyn bowls to him. He then bowls a but fuller and Pujara drives him through mid-on for a four. Vijay drives through the gap between cover and mid-off. Morkel runs behind it and dives to cut it before the boundary. The crowd cheer. There is a tendency to pitch it full and VIjay drives it through to the covers for four. Steyn then comes into the attack and is hit past point for four.
IND 104/1 | Overs 30 | Vijay 42*, Pujara 30*
Steyn isn’t exactly finding his line as he bowls on Pujara’s legs again and he is worked away through the leg-side for a four. Earlier in the over, Pujara had merely guided it through third-man and ran through for two. Vijay gets one a bit full from Philander and he punches it down the ground for a four. That brings up the 100 for India. This has been a solid beginning and they have been very stable today. He then punches one through the covers for a four. That was a graceful backfoot drive.
IND 88/1 | Overs 28 | Vijay 34*, Pujara 22*
Pujara starts off with positive intent after lunch. Steyn bowls on his legs and he works it away through the leg-side for a four. Then, the duo take singles as they try to settle in again. Philander starts off from the other end after lunch and Pujara nearly lofts it to mid-on. Morkel slowly moves to his right and tries to dive and could not get there. The ball then goes through to the outfield and they run three. There is a no-ball as Philander overpitches. He later bowls one short which sails over Vijay’s head.
It’s lunch on Day One and India will be happy with their performance — 76 for one. Just the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan but Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara have settled in. Do read the lunch report here
IND 71/1 | Overs 24 | Vijay 29*, Pujara 12*
Imran Tahir goes, Robin Peterson comes on, but that isn’t going to disturb the comfort of the Indian batsmen against spinners. The flight of Peterson is keeping Vijay busy who is driving them. He managed to get one boundary. The batsmen have been watchful against Morne Morkel who has troubled them with some bounce.
IND 52/1 | Overs 18 | Vijay 16*, Pujara 6*
Jacques Kallis starts bowling in what is his last Test match. The first ball if full outside the off-stump and he is driven through the covers for three by Pujara. Later, he bowls on Vijay’s pads and is flicked away through square leg for a four. The fifty is up for India and Vijay too is looking in good touch here. For Pujara, this is a new start, but he would be confident after the previous game.
Dhawan is gone right after the drinks break! Morkel comes from round the wicket and has Dhawan driving at one outside the off-stump. The edge flied through to Alviro Petersen. Dhawan on his way back after a good start. Pujara starts off with two runs immediately as Morkel angles into his pads and he works it to the leg-side
IND 38/0 | Overs 10 | Dhawan 28*, Vijay 10*
Steyn pitches it full and gives Dhawan width. He gets on one knee and drives it with power through the covers for a four;. That was a cracking shot and it made a nice crunchy sound as it met the bat. The runs are flowing well for India as Vijay also drives an overpitched delivery down the ground for a four. It has been a confident start so far!
Morne Morkel comes in to bowl. We’ll see how well he has shaped up here. He starts off with a maiden and gets a few to climb into Dhawan. Morkel then gives Dhawan a nice half-volley and he essays another cover-drive.
IND 23/0 | Overs 5 | Dhawan 16*, Vijay 5*
Vijay hits a cracking straight drive, but is stopped by Vernon Philander in his follow through. He does get off the mark later. Philander then bowls on Dhawan’s legs and his carted through the leg-side for a four. Morne Morkel was chasing it and was quite slow to get there. Remember that they have risked him after that horrific ankle injury at Johannesburg. Vijay then gets one in his half from Steyn and gracefully drives it for four.
Dhawan is getting a few easy deliveries. Philander pitches it full and is driven down the ground for a four. He then strays on his pads and is again worked away through mid-wicket for a four.
IND 5/0 | Overs 1 | Dhawan 5*, Vijay 0*
Dale Steyn starts proceedings and bowls the first ball to Shikhar Dhawan. The second ball was pitched up and Dhawan merely pushes it through mid-off for a four. Good start for Dhawan. So, that is the end of the first over.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won the toss and elected to bat. Ravindra Jadeja gets a chance to play in the second Test. He replaces Ravichandran Ashwin. South Africa also made one change. Robin Peterson comes instead of Imran Tahir.
Teams:
South Africa: Graeme Smith (c), Alviro Peterson, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander.
India: Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami.
Welcome to CricketCountry’s coverage of the second Test between India and South Africa at Kingmead, Durban. The first Test ended in a thrilling draw, with the two team sharing honours. India dominated the first four days of the match. However, in the fifth day South African batsmen Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers guided the hosts to a safe position before the visitors struck again. It will be interesting to see which team emerges as the winner in the series decider at Durban. The Test at Johannesburg also saw the return of Zaheer Khan, who dismissed Graeme Smith for the 14th time in all forms of cricket. I am Nishad Pai Vaidya and will take you through the game. The second Test promises to be an epic counter.
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