India vs South Africa 1st Test: Rain delays start of second day’s play, early lunch taken at Centurion

The
wet
outfield
and
persistent
rain
in
the
morning
might
wash
out
the
entire
morning
session
of
the
opening
Test.
The
rain
grew
intense
later
in
the
day
and
it
forced
the
match
officials
to
take
an
early
lunch.
The
next
inspection
will
be
made
at
12:10
local
time.

Earlier
on
Day
1,
opener
K
L
Rahul
produced
majestic
knock-in
testing
conditions
en
route
to
his
sixth
overseas
century
as
India
made
a
near-perfect
start
to
the
Test
series.

Rahul
(122
batting
off
248),
alongside
opener
partner
Mayank
Agarwal
(60),
set
up
a
strong
platform
for
India
with
a
117-run
stand,
enabling
the
visitors
to
reach
272
for
three
at
stumps.

Skipper
Virat
Kohli
(35
off
94)
fell
to
a
loose
shot
after
doing
all
the
hard
work
while
under-pressure
Cheteshwar
Pujara
lasted
only
one
ball.
Rahul
and
Ajinkya
Rahane
(40
batting
off
81),
who
like
Pujara
is
fighting
to
save
his
place
in
the
team,
were
in
the
middle
at
the
close
of
play.

Rahane
looked
in
good
touch
and
will
be
aiming
for
a
big
score
on
day
two.
Barring
Lungi
Ngidi,
who
took
all
the
wickets
to
fall
on
the
day,
South
Africa
pacers
were
not
probing
enough
in
their
line
and
lengths
and
offered
too
many
loose
balls.
The
day
belonged
to
Rahul,
who
showed
remarkable
resolve
and
application
during
his
seventh
Test
hundred.

He
reached
a
three-figure
mark
in
England
earlier
this
year
and
has
also
scored
a
hundred
in
every
country
he
has
played
in.
Just
like
he
had
done
it
in
England
alongside
Rohit
Sharma,
Rahul
played
with
absolute
clarity
knowing
which
balls
to
leave
and
which
ones
to
go
for
his
shots.
His
friend
and
Karnataka
teammate
Agarwal
also
made
it
easier
for
Rahul
early
on
by
being
the
aggressor
in
the
partnership.

In
the
end,
Rahul
ended
up
collecting
16
fours
and
a
six.
His
innings
had
all
his
attractive
range
of
strokes,
including
the
cover
drives
and
his
punch
shot
off
the
back
foot.
He
got
to
the
90s
with
a
six
off
spinner
Keshav
Maharaj
and
stayed
there
for
a
while
before
reaching
the
milestone
with
a
gentle
steer
off
the
left-arm
bowler
through
point.

He
also
shared
a
crucial
82
run
stand
with
Kohli
after
Ngidi
removed
Agarwal
and
Pujara
from
successive
deliveries.
The
India
skipper
was
the
only
wicket
to
fall
in
the
evening
session
and
that
was
rather
a
gift
to
struggling
South
Africa.
Kohli
went
for
an
expansive
drive
off
a
very
wide
ball,
something
he
didn’t
need
to
with
India
in
a
commanding
position.

Earlier,
South
Africa
fought
back
with
a
couple
of
wickets
in
the
afternoon
session
via
Ngidi
but
India
still
controlled
the
proceedings
by
reaching
157
for
two
at
tea.
India
scored
74
runs
in
the
second
session
while
Ngidi
removed
Agarwal
and
Pujara
off
successive
balls
to
provide
the
hosts’ much-needed
breakthroughs.

Agarwal,
who
got
to
his
half-century
after
lunch,
was
dismissed
against
the
run
of
play.
The
ball
appeared
to
bounce
over
the
wicket
apart
from
missing
the
leg
stump
but
the
on-field
decision
was
reversed
when
DRS
revealed
that
it
was
hitting
the
wickets,
leaving
Agarwal
in
disbelief.
His
fall
also
ended
a
memorable
partnership,
making
Rahul
and
Agarwal
only
the
third
Indian
opening
pair
to
stitch
a
century
stand
in
21
games
in
South
Africa.

With
the
sun
coming
out,
Pujara
walked
in
and
was
dismissed
the
first
ball,
inside
edging
a
defensive
shot
to
Keegan
Petersen
at
short
leg.
Soon
after,
Rahul
brought
up
his
fifty
with
a
delightful
cover
drive
off
Ngidi.

In
the
morning
session,
Agarwal
and
Rahul
played
with
the
required
discipline
in
testing
conditions
to
take
India
to
83
for
no
loss.
Kohli
made
a
brave
call
to
bat
first
on
a
greenish
surface
which
is
expected
to
get
quicker
as
the
game
progresses.

Agarwal
drove
Ngidi
through
point
for
the
first
four
of
the
innings.
Rahul,
who
took
21
balls
to
get
off
the
mark,
played
an
exquisite
straight
drive
off
Kagiso
Rabada
to
get
going.

Debutant
left-arm
pacer
Jansen
made
a
nervy
start
to
his
career
with
Agarwal
dispatching
him
for
three
fours
in
his
opening
over.
The
6
feet
8-inch
bowler’s
first
ball
in
Test
cricket
was
a
gentle
full
toss
which
Agarwal
duly
dispatched
through
cover
point.
Then
the
lanky
pacer
bowled
a
couple
into
the
pads
which
were
crisply
flicked
away.

The
South
African
pacers
bowled
a
tad
too
short
in
the
first
hour
of
play.
The
Dean
Elgar-led
side
also
wasted
a
review
early
in
the
session.
The
only
chance
that
came
South
Africa’s
way
went
begging
with
a
diving
Quinton
de
Kock
dropping
Agarwal
off
Jansen.
He
was
batting
on
36
at
that
time.