IND vs SA Test - Rain Dampens Day 1 in Centurion: India at 208/8
Boxing Day marked the start of the eagerly awaited first Test between South Africa and India at Centurion, but the day was marred by rain and fast bowling from Kagiso Rabada, who took India to a precarious 208/8 at stumps.
India Was Put on the Backfoot by Early Wickets:
After winning the toss, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma chose to bol first, the South Africa bowlers especially the dangerous Rabada and nandre Burger, destroyed the top order. India was left reeling at 24/3 when Rohit Sharma (5), Yashasvi Jaiswal (17), and Shubman Gill (2) all went for cheap.
After Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal went for cheap runs, India's batting talisman, Virat Kohli, walked to the crease at a critical moment. He flicked Nandre Burger for a couple of boundaries on the square leg after starting conservatively but appearing to be in fine touch. On the other side, Shreyas Iyer, who has been playing well recently. He got off to a good start by pushing a few boundaries. But India's chances were severely damaged following lunch by Shreyas Iyer (31) wicket, he was slow to put down his bat and failed to consider the movement back in, which cost him as he came back in to castle the wobble-seam nipbacker on the stumps and kept low and Kohli's (38) dismissal on the late swinging ball, clip Kohli's outside edge and land in Verreynne's safe hands.
However, Rahul stood firm, bringing his trademark resilience to the crease. Playing against players like Rabada and Marco Jansen, he first played conservatively, enduring the storm and establishing his groove. Rahul began gradually learning his limitations and punished anything loose with graceful drives and flicks. With Shardul Thakur (24), he found a valuable companion, and the two stitched together an important 43-run partnership that steadied the Indian innings. Prior to the rain-affected day's stumping, his late-inning barrage gave India a chance to surpass 200 runs and gave them hope.
Even though India still has a long way to go on Day 2, Rahul's valiant half-century (unbeaten 70) and Shardul's late surge have given the squad much-needed confidence. India will be aiming for Rahul to turn his fifty into a huge hundred and for the lower order to chip in with important runs as the game goes on, as the pitch is predicted to soften up.
Day 2 of the Centurion Test looks to be very important. There should be clear skies, which will make for an exciting game of bat vs ball. It will be interesting to see if India can construct a respectable total by leveraging the efforts of Rahul and Shardul. On the other hand, the Proteas will want to take advantage of the early advantage and force additional wickets.
Day 2 of this titanic battle looks to be unforgettable. So grab a seat, tune in, and watch the drama around cricket develop!
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