Johannesburg Test: Pujara and Rahane depart after scoring fifties
Senior Indian batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane batted well before South Africa hit back in the first session on Day 3 of the second Test. Resuming the day on 85/2, the two added valuable runs. Both players brought up their respective half-centuries. Kagiso Rabada was excellent and claimed three wickets. India have thrown the momentum away after an excellent start (188/6).
Pujara and Rahane came to the crease at a crucial juncture on Day 2. They kept their wickets intact and added a fighting 41-run stand. On Wednesday, the two played a positive brand of cricket and stitched a valuable century-plus stand (111). They hit several boundaries, including a six by Rahane. This partnership was extremely vital for India and steered the ship.
Both Pujara and Rahane were in a spot of bother coming into this Test. They were short of runs and needed something substantial after failing in the first innings. And just when things mattered, the two showed a lot of composure. Their experience came into play. Pujara (53) struck his 32nd Test fifty. Rahane got his 25th fifty after scoring a 78-ball 58.
SA bowlers had their moments and tested Pujara and Rahane at times. However, the bowlers weren't as consistent. Even the length balls were picked nicely. India got a lot of runs in the vacant third-man area, steering the ball in that direction. However, Rabada bowled well with his nagging lengths. He dismissed both the set Indian batters before getting the reckless Rishabh Pant (0).
India had a 58-run lead at stumps on Day 2. The solid work by Pujara and Rahane helped the side build on. However, they couldn't carry on. Pant was dismal before R Ashwin departed too. Pant has been awful for India. As per Cricbuzz, he has scored just 250 runs from 13 innings since the ICC World Test Championship final. He is averaging 19.23.
