Kolkata: Ravindra Jadeja spun a web around South Africa’s batting line-up to claim four wickets while bowling from the Pavilion End as the visitors were reduced to 93/7 in 35 overs at stumps on day two of the first Test at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Though South Africa have a lead of 63 runs, Jadeja picking 4-29 meant the game is still on a knife’s edge.
After dismissing India for 189 earlier in the day, with the hosts having a slender 30-run lead, South Africa appeared to have levelled the contest, especially with Shubman Gill absent from the field after retiring hurt for four due to a neck spasm.
But their batting collapsed under the pressure of high-quality spin and questionable shot selection, thus handing India the advantage at the close of day’s play. The pitch continued to play its tricks, with variable bounce and sharp turns making batting increasingly difficult. While a chase of 125 would look steep, it would require South Africa to nearly double their current lead, which is no easy task on this surface.
The final session began with Aiden Markram going for a sweep off Jadeja, but the ball took a thick top edge, and was caught by Dhruv Jurel at short leg. Then, in the 17th over, got some turn to take Wiaan Mulder’s outside edge and was caught by keeper-cum-stand-in captain Rishabh Pant.
Two balls later, Tony de Zorzi was undone by a turn from Jadeja that grazed his glove, hit the pad, and was caught by Jurel at short leg. Though Temba Bavuma continued to hit boundaries, South Africa was losing wickets from the other end – Jadeja got one just to straighten in and go past Tristan Stubbs’ outside edge to hit the top of off-stump, while Kyle Verreynne’s slog-sweep made for an ugly look as Axar Patel rattled his middle stump.
Though Bavuma was unbeaten on 29, India had another breakthrough before stumps when Kuldeep Yadav found a thin edge on Marco Jansen’s attempted slog sweep and KL Rahul at first slip managed to hold on after an initial fumble. With day three possibly becoming the last day of this topsy-turvy game, everything is still there to play for both India and South Africa.
Brief Scores: South Africa 159 and 93/7 in 35 overs (Temba Bavuma 29 not out, Marco Jansen 13; Ravindra Jadeja 4-29, Kuldeep Yadav 2-12) lead India 189 in 62.2 overs (KL Rahul 39, Washington Sundar 29; Simon Harmer 4-30, Marco Jansen 3-35) by 63 runs
(IANS)
