VISAKHAPATNAM : The ICC World Test Championship isn’t a perfect model yet. It still has its flaws, like the point system and the matches each team plays. Even the timing hasn’t exactly been perfect; maybe it could have been introduced earlier.While it is undoubtedly adding more context to each series, there is also no denying how it is making teams force the pace of the game, especially when they are playing at home. Losing points in their backyard will come back to haunt them.
On tracks like the one at YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium, it becomes a different task altogether. After India declared on 502/7 on the final session of Day 2, South Africa’s 431 ended on the first session of Day 4. The Proteas would have liked a few more runs, but they had batted out the time they had to.
The pitch hadn’t deteriorated as expected, but the odd ball kept low. Some turned several yards after hitting the cracks. There wasn’t much from the good-length area. Once settled, there were runs for the taking. But to do that, players needed time to get a hang of the pitch.
India began their second innings with a lead of 71; a tricky situation. While the move to promote Rohit Sharma tp open is mostly owing to the fact that he’s too good a player to be benched, but the Test Championship — and India’s proactive approach since its start — also tie in.
With Rohit as No 1, India acquire a different dimension. Unlike their other openers, Rohit is a different beast after getting his eye in, especially in home conditions. He can toy with the field. Most importantly, he can clear the fence with ease. He’d already done that half a dozen times in that first-innings hundred.
As Rohit and Mayank Agarwal walked in again, there was a clear statement of intent. South Africa’s lower-order had kept them on field on Saturday morning for more time than India had wished for. The clock was ticking for those crucial 40 points; 13 if South Africa survive Sunday. Not to mention a rain threat.
Though India lost Agarwal early, Rohit began from where he left off, continuing to be harsh on spinners. Cheteshwar Pujara went about in his usual building self. They were solely depending on Rohit to find the fence. At one point, Rohit was so frustrated that he ended up swearing at Pujara after the one-down turned down a single.At the end of 28 overs the scoreboard read: 82/1, Rohit 49 off 71, Pujara 8 off 62. The India changed gears.
Now accustomed to the pitch, Pujara began playing his shots; an approach he usually resorts to only after going past three figures. His acceleration was such that Rohit played second fiddle for a while. He had the help of four lives to reel out the crucial innings that set the pace. Their 169-run stand was India’s need of the hour, as losing more wickets would have forced them to consolidate again. In the next 20 overs that followed, Pujara nearly caught up with Rohit. He had 75 (139 balls) to his name, compared to the latter’s 84 (118 balls) when tea was taken.
“Once I was playing well, both of us made a very good partnership,” said Pujara after end of day’s play. “We didn’t do anything differently. We wanted to make sure that we put the bad balls away. In that session between lunch and tea, we got the 140-150 runs we expected. We thought that if we have this much till tea and wickets in hand, we can always accelerate and put up a decent total.”
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In the last session, India exploded. Though they lost Pujara soon after, Ravindra Jadeja earned a promotion. Once Rohit stroked away to his second century of the match, he smacked three successive sixes. After he was dismissed in the 57th over, India played out 10 more and declared, setting the visitors a target of 395.
India (1st innings) 502/7 decl
SA (1st innings (overnight 385/8))
Muthusamy (not out) 33, Maharaj c Agarwal b Ashwin 9, Rabada lbw Ashwin 15. Extras (b12, lb4, nb5) 21. Total (all out, 131.2 ovs) 431. FoW: 9-396.
Bowling: Ishant 16-2-54-1, Shami 18-4-47-0, Ashwin 46.2-11-145-7, Jadeja 40-5-124-2, Vihari 9-1-38-0, Rohit 2-1-7-0.
India (2nd innings)
Agarwal c Du Plessis b Maharaj 7, Rohit st De Kock b Maharaj 127, Pujara lbw Philander 81, Jadeja b Rabada 40, Kohli (not out) 31, Rahane (not out) 27. Extras (b8, lb2) 10. Total (4 wkts dec, 67 ovs) 323. FoW: 1-21, 2-190, 3-239, 4-286. Bowling: Philander 12-5-21-1, Maharaj 22-0-129-2, Rabada 13-3-41-1, Piedt 17-3-102-0, Muthusamy 3-0-20-0.
SA (2nd innings)
Markram (batting) 3, Elgar lbw Jadeja 2, De Bruyn (batting) 5. Extras 1 (lb 1). Total (1 wkt, 9 ovs) 11. FoW: 1-4. Bowling: Ashwin 5-2-7-0, Jadeja 4-2-3-1.