Despite the ambivalent weather in and around the city, the second Test of the Freedom Series had not seen rain intervention during play. And when the heavens opened up around half an hour before scheduled stumps on Sunday at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium, it didn’t really matter. After all, India’s bowlers had rolled over South Africa’s batsmen 30 minutes after tea to seal the series with an emphatic win by an innings and 137 runs.
For the second day in a row — and third innings in a row in the series — the specialist South Africa batsmen caved in against India’s on-song bowlers. And with outstanding catching behind the stumps aiding the bowlers to perfection, India bowled South Africa out for 189 after making the Proteas follow-on to the delight of 18,000-plus spectators.
Just like Saturday, staunch resistance came from the Vernon Philander-Keshav Maharaj combine. The duo followed up a 109-run partnership for the ninth wicket in the first essay with a 56-run stand for the eighth in the second to give South Africa a glimmer of hope of stretching the game into the fifth day. However, once Philander nudged Umesh Yadav down the leg to Wriddhiman Saha’s safe hands just after tea, the wheels came off. India snared the last three scalps off just eight balls to ensure the bowlers got a deserved additional day’s rest before the series finale in Ranchi.
Easiest catch
That catch was the easiest of Saha’s three behind the stumps. The other two — just like the one on Saturday — will be etched in the memory of connoisseurs for a long time. If Saha had lunged to his right to pouch an edge of Theunis de Bruyn on Saturday off Umesh, Sunday saw the agile ’keeper dive full length to the other side and snatch a sensational catch in the morning session to leave Proteas reeling at 13 for two.
Just before lunch, Saha pouched another outstanding catch off R. Ashwin to dismiss Faf du Plessis. With a daunting task of saving the game, du Plessis had adopted a blockathon approach. But Ashwin managed the inside edge off his blade and the ball ricocheted off his pads behind. Saha, blinded till late, did an excellent job to get his gloves to the ball and finally take control of the ball on the fourth attempt.
Inexplicable shots
Soon afterwards, on either side of lunch when the Proteas were reduced to 74 for four, came two inexplicable shots by the two left-handers. Dean Elgar had weathered the pace storms — creaming three boundaries in Mohammed Shami’s first over — and looked set for a second hundred of the season. But Ashwin tossed one up to him and the opener went for the bait and top-edged an attempted heave against the turn to Umesh at mid-off.
Quinton de Kock also had a brainfade as his attempted shot off Ravindra Jadeja only resulted in the ball shattering the stumps. At 79 for five, Temba Bavuma found an ally in Senuran Muthuswamy for over an hour but the 46-run association came to an end with Ajinkya Rahane’s sharp reflexes at first slip off Jadeja.
It looked like nothing was going right South Africa’s way while the Indians were just not committing a mistake. The trend started as soon as South Africa began following on with Virat Kohli letting his bowlers go on a rampage for the second day in succession. Second ball of the day, Ishant Sharma rapped Aiden Markram on to the pad and the opener — with a pair hovering over his head — ran out of time before opting for the review. The replays later confirmed the ball was missing the stumps.
