India 136/4 in 59 overs in Johannesburg test against S Africa

Speed Post News Network

Patna : India were 136/4 in 59 over after tea on the first day of third cricket test against South Africa at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa, on January 24, 2018, with Cheteshwar Pujara batting on 43 in 168 balls hitting 7 fours and wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel batting on 1 in 14 balls. They were 114/4 at tea.

Electing to bat first after winning the toss, Indiamade a diastrous start to the thirs test as well with the first wicket of opener Lokesh Rahul falling at 7 and second wicket of his partner Murli Vijay at 13. Rahul was out for duck while Vijay was out for 8. Captain Virat Kohli was out for 54 in 106 balls hitting 9 fours. Kohli and Pujara were in a84 run partnership for thid wicket.

The much hyped Ajinkya Rahane, whose omission from the playing XI in the first two tests had come in for a lot of criticism by experts saying he should have been preferred over Rohit Sharma in views of his overseas performance in the past, fell for 9 only in 27 balls with one four that too after getting a life. Rohit Sharma had scored 47 in the second innings of the second test at Centurion. In the two tests that he played, Rohit made 78 in four innings. For South Africa, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Lungisani Ngidi and  Vernon Philander took one wicket each.

India dropped spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for the test and brought back Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. India is playing with four pacers : Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah plus all rounder Hardik Pandya in the test.