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South Africa registered a thumping victory against India on Day 4 of the Johannesburg Test by 7-wickets, to level the three match Test series 1-1. After two sessions were spoiled by rain on Thursday, skipper Dean Elgar along with Rassie van der Duseen came out to chase down the target of 240, needing 122 runs with eight wickets in hand, seeking maiden victory against India in The Wanderers Stadium at Johannesburg. Skipper Dean Elgar led from the front with an unbeaten 96 off 188 balls to take his team home in 67.4 overs, while other crucial contributors were Aiden Markram (31), Rassie van der Dussen (40), Keegan Peterson (28) and Temba Bavuma (23 not out off 45).
However, Kohli-less Indian team failed to live up to the expectations despite Shardul Thakur's heroics in first innings and Rahane - Pujara duo did draw some appreciation for their career saving knocks but team could not put an impressive total on board and suffered batting collapses in both the innings, owing to the collective efforts of South African bowlers. SportsTiger is making an attempt to rate the players as per their performance in the match.
KL Rahul:
1st Inning Score: 50 off 133 balls
2nd Inning Score: 8 off 21 balls
KL Rahul was given additional responsibility of captaincy in the second Test match in the absence of Kohli due to back spasm but stand-in skipper failed to register an historic victory in front of his name. The only highlight of the match for Rahul was his 50 run knock in the first innings but otherwise he failed miserably to lead the players. Kohli's aggressive approach as a skipper seeking match win at any cost was a major miss in front of KL Rahul's casual approach.
Mayank Agarwal:
1st Inning Score: 26 off 37 balls
2nd Inning Score: 23 off 37 balls
Lot was expected from the opener but he was disastrous in both the innings. Agarwal could not carry his form from the 1st Test where he impressed in the first innings and got out very cheaply in both the innings. In such a highly anticipated match, opener was caught behind by Kyle Verreynne at the score of 31, while Oliver caught him leg before wicket in the second innings at his individual score of 23 off 37 balls.
Cheteshwar Pujara:
1st Innings: 3 off 33 balls
2nd Innings: 53 off 86 balls
Pujara had a lot at stake before he stepped out for the game and a sharp sword, hanging on his head due to his consistent poor performances, drew a bit closer as he was forced to leave the crease after he was caught by Bavuma, at his individual score of 3 runs in the first innings. However, his career saving knock in second innings (53 off 86 balls ) turned out to be crucial for the team as it guided India to a respectable total but still wasn't enough.
Ajinkya Rahane:
1st Innings: 0 off 1 ball
2nd Innings: 58 off 78 balls
Ajinkya Rahane suffered a golden duck in the first innings. But, earned some respect for himself by scoring 58 off 78 balls but still just one inning can't be an escape for Rahane's consistent failures despite his vast experience. Team needed more from him to register a series win in the 2nd match only, but he failed.
Hanuma Vihari:
1st Innings: 20 off 53 balls
2nd Innings: 40 runs off 84 balls
He has been one of the unluckiest players in the squad. Got an opportunity in the absence of Kohli, and played one of the most crucial knocks of his career but his teammates failed him from the other side. In the first innings, he could only score 20 off 53 balls but his 58 run stand off 84 balls was one of the takeaways from the match.
Rishabh Pant:
1st Innings: 17 off 43 balls
2nd Innings: 0 off 3 balls (Duck)
Catches behind the wicket: Four
He is a promising youngster but is continuously failing to keep his promises. His getting out on duck in the second innings of the match angered batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, and he was forced to remind Pant to 'realize his responsibilities.'
R Ashwin:
Batting -:
1st Innings: 46 off 50
2nd Innings: 16 off 14 balls
Bowling-:
1st Innings: 10 overs, 35 runs, 1 maiden, 0 wickets (1st Innings)
Didn't bowl in second innings
Ashwin is a top notch all-rounder, but failed to surprise South African batsmen with his spin. Although, he scored some valuable runs in the first innings, but a player of his stature could have done even better.
Shardul Thakur:
Batting-:
1st Innings: 0 off 5 balls
2nd Innings: 28 off 24 balls
Bowling-:
1st Innings: Over-17.5, Runs-61, Wickets-7
2nd Innings: Over-16, Runs- 47, Wickets- 1
His performance was the biggest highlight for India, although he could not take the team to winning mark but he must have earned appreciation in the dressing rooms for sure. He became the only Asian to take 7-wickets in an innings in South Africa and conceded just 61 runs. Something, he could be proud of.
Mohammad Shami-:
Batting-:
1st Innings: 9 off 12 balls
2nd Innings: 0 off 6 balls
Bowling-:
1st Innings: Over- 21, Runs-52, Wicket-2
2nd Innings: Over-17, Runs- 55, Wicket-1
Shami has led the Indian team to some of the historic victories in the past, but in the 2nd Test, he could only get three wickets which were not enough against the spirited South Africa side.
Jasprit Bumrah-:
Batting-:
1st Innings: 14 off 11 balls
2nd Innings: 7 off 14 balls
Bowling-:
1st Innings: Over-21, Runs-49, Wicket-1
2nd Innings: Over-17, Runs-70, Wicket-0
Jasprit Bumrah carries lot of expectation on his shoulder but he miserably failed to perform in second Test. One of the reasons why team could not do well, as his performance has always played vital contribution in team's victory.
Md. Siraj-:
Batting-:
1st Innings: 1 off 6 balls
2nd Innings: 0 off 2 balls
Bowling-:
1 Innings: Over-9.5, Runs-24, Wicket-0
2nd Innings: Over-6, Runs-37, Wicket-0
If bowlers like Siraj will finish the game without any wicket, it will certainly cost a game to the team. He is a quality bowler and should be getting more wickets .