The Proteas slumped to an innings and 137-run defeat at the hands of India on day four of the second Test against India at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Sunday.
Forced to follow on after slipping to 275 all out in response to India’s 601-5 declared, which was built on the back of captain Virat Kohli’s unbeaten double-century, the tourists moved to 189 all out shortly after the tea break.
The visitors’ second-innings total, like the first, would have read substantially worse, had lower-order duo Vernon Philander and Keshav Maharaj not collaborated well again. Philander’s departure, however, ensured spinner Ravindra Jadeja and fast bowler Umesh Yadav were able to quickly remove the remainder of the tail-enders.
This fixture will largely be ready for a dominant, unbeaten century by Indian captain Virat Kohli. The talismanic right-hander’s 254 not out marked the highest of a prolific career, surpassing the 243 collected against Sri Lanka in Delhi in 2017.
The match, too, witnessed an unfortunate squabble between Proteas wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.
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Sunday’s result afforded India an unassailable 2-0 series lead. They won last week’s series opener in Visakhapatnam by 203 runs. Ranchi will host the third and final match from 19 October.
India: Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami.
South Africa: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Theunis de Bruyn, Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Senuran Muthusamy, Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje.
Photo: Gallo Images
