South Africa © Gallo Images
South Africa fought back with three wickets to reduce India to 138-4, still 21-runs in arreat lunch on the second morning of the first test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday after the tourists were bundled out for just 159 in their first innings on the first day.
The match situation was further complicated for the home side with captain Shubman Gill retiring hurt with a rib injury after slog-sweeping his third ball for four with a surfeit of intent and being forced to leave the field in the company of the team physiotherapist.
Spinners Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj made the initial breaches into a fiercely defensive approach from opener KL Rahul and Washington Sundar with both batsmen well caught low to the ground by Aiden Markram at slip.
Harmer struck with just his second ball of the day with left hander Sunday departing for 29 from 82 balls with just two fours and a six while Maharaj removed removed right hander Rahul for 39 from 119 deliveries with four fours and a six.
Rishabh Pant launched a typically exhilarating counter-attack smashing a pair of four and sixes against the spinners despite the capricious and unpredictable nature of the pitch but could only glove an excellent bouncer from Corbin Bosch (6-4-6-1) to ‘keeper Kyle Verreynne in the final over before the break.
Ravindra Jadeja and Dhruv Jurel will resume after the break on 11* and 5* respectively with a tough battle against Maharaj (16-1-66-1) and Harmer (7-1-22-1) expected to materialise in the afternoon session.
INDIA: Yashasvi Jaiswl, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wkt), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj.
SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj.
