JOHANNESBURG : India’s Shardul Thakur took three wickets to end early South African resistance and reduce the home side to 102-4 at lunch on the second day of the second test at the Wanderers on Tuesday.
Thakur claimed three wickets in five overs to tip the balance of play back India’s way after Keegan Petersen scored a maiden test half century.
South Africa trail by 100 runs after dismissing India for 202 in their first innings on Monday with Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne to resume after lunch.
Thakur took the wickets of captain Dean Elgar, Petersen and Rassie van der Dussen, with the last ball before lunch.
Elgar and Petersen offered stoic resistance for the first 90 minutes of the morning as the South Africans resumed on 35-1 overnight, but both survived precariously as they were subjected to a barrage of accurate bowling from the tourists.
Elgar took 55 minutes and 32 balls before adding to his overnight score of 11 in a patient display of concentration while Petersen was able to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Elgar’s innings ended as he got an outside edge to Thakur and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant for 28 off 120 balls
Petersen reached his first test 50 with a boundary and quickly moved onto 62 but paid the price for one expansive shot too many as he was caught in the slips.
Van der Dussen, whose place in the test team is under threat, struggled again with the hostile bowling and got an inside edge that just carried through to Pant to depart for just one run.
India are 1-0 up in the three match series and looking for a first ever series success in South Africa.
(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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