Cricket ground workers pull over covers as rain delays the start of play. (AP Photo) India vs South Africa 1st Test Day 2 Highlights: Persistent rain forced play to get called off on Day 2 as India remained on 272/3 against South Africa. Umpires planned to inspect the SuperSport Park pitch at 11.30 AM local time and called for an early lunch break to start at the same time, meaning there would be no play in the morning session in Centurion. But that inspection was put back an hour and 15 minutes and then delayed again as the rain returned and thunder rumbled over the ground.
Earlier, India were in a strong position in its first innings after opener KL Rahul’s unbeaten 122 gave the touring team a solid start to the three-test series. Ajinkya Rahane is 40 not out alongside Rahul. Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi took 3/45 on an opening day to be the only South African bowler to have any success. Top-ranked India is seeking a long-awaited first test series win in South Africa.
India Playing XI: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
South Africa Playing XI: Dean Elgar (c), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock(w), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
South Africa
197 (62.3) & 191 (68.0)India
327 (105.3) & 174 (50.3)India beat South Africa by 113 runs
KL Rahul scored a fine century on Day 1 at Centurion.
And it's official. Day 2 has been called off. SA and India will not have any PCs today, according to a BCCI media release.
There are large pools of water on the outfield. The second session is probably gone too. There might not be a single ball bowled today if this continues.
As per social media "It's hard to see how there's going to have play today as it has started pouring heavily again," is the update from the ground. Two-and-a-half hours of play lost already.
Another inspection was scheduled for 12.45 PM local time. But it has started pouring heavily again. De ja vu. Just like before lunch. We'll keep you updated.
Rain continues to act spoilsport. It has starteed pouring 15 mins before inspection. The covers are back on.
The rain has stopped but the covers are still on. The sun is out! Things are looking better.
Bad news, folks. Just when it was looking to get better, it has started raining again in Centurion. Further delay in cricket action!
It had rained in the build-up to day two of the South Africa vs India Test. It has stopped raining now, but a delayed start is confirmed. Stay tuned for further updates.
For the first four years of his Test career until the 2014 tour of England where James Anderson sorted him out, Kohli averaged just 28 in the corridor outside off stump. Cricviz data shows that in the next four years – from 2015 to 2019 – he averaged an incredible 92 in the same channel. But of late, it has once again become his nemesis. (READ FULL STORY)
“The plan was to be very disciplined, to play balls which come around the stump and leave as many as possible. We could do just that,” Agarwal said at the press conference after the day’s play. “At 272 for 3, it is credit to our batting unit, we applied ourselves. The plan is those who get set will have to continue and Rahul bhai did that.” (READ FULL STORY)
Mayank Agarwal has witnessed KL Rahul’s resurrection as a Test batsman at close quarters. Not only did he share a 117-run opening partnership with Rahul on the first day of the first Test against South Africa at Centurion on Sunday, but over the last one year, the two Karnataka team-mates have trained together and turned out for Punjab Kings in the IPL.
Agarwal scored an enterprising half-century today, but Rahul reached three-figures and remained unbeaten at the end of the day’s play. The latter has been a revelation as a long-form batsman ever since his return to the Test fold in England earlier this year. So what has Rahul done behind the scenes? (FIND OUT)
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Boxing Day Test between India and South Africa. India look to continue the momentum on Day 2. Stay tuned for live score, updates and highlights of the match right here.