CAPE TOWN – India’s batsmen showed great resistance and patience on the second morning, but South Africa’s bowlers maintained their discipline on the second morning of the first Test at Newlands.
After a frenetic first day of play when 314 runs were scored for the loss of 11 wickets on Friday, it all calmed down today. India added just 48 runs to their overnight 28/3 to crawl to 76/4 at lunch.
Equally, South Africa could pick up just one wicket with Kagiso Rabada picked up the solitary scalp of Rohit Sharma for 11 off 59 balls.
Sharma reviewed the lbw decision, but television replays showed the ball to be smashing into the middle stump.
South Africa had come out with great expectations of running through the Indian middle-order, but the pitch seemed to calm down with none of the extravagant seam movement on offer that was prevalent the previous day.
Proteas opening bowler Vernon Philander stuck to a consistent line and length outside the off-stump, but could not find the elusive edge. He was miserly though with India only scoring their first run off Philander’s 34th ball of the morning.
India No 3 Cheteshwar Pujara was not troubled, though, with the slow pace of scoring and maintained his composure throughout to remain unbeaten on 26 at the interval. Ravichandran Ashwin was the other unbeaten batsman on 12.