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SA vs IND | 2nd Test, Day 2: Shardul Thakur picks first five-wicket haul to keep India in the game

Shardul Thakur led India's bowling efforts with a five-wicket haul on the second day of the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg. He picked the wicket of Temba Bavuma to reach the milestone.

Bavuma scored an aggressive half-century but Shardul got the better of him straightway to dent Proteas' progress in the first innings. Before him, he dismissed Kyle Verreyne as his fourth scalps.

He was in tremendous rhythm in the morning session and dismissed both the overnight pair of Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen just when they were looking resolute to make things tough for India.

He was held back for a long time by the skipper KL Rahul as Elgar and Petersen remained unbeaten till the first hour of the day. The pacer proved his worth straightway with the big wicket of Proteas skipper Elgar by an absolute jaffa that nipped off the seam from the line of the off-stump.

At the other end of the pitch, Petersen cashed in on the boundary scoring opportunities by Mohammad Shami, who himself bowled a tremendous spell of bowling towards the end of the session, and reached his first half-century in Test cricket.

However, he could not maintain the discipline after reaching the landmark of fifty and played rash shots before edging an away going delivery from Shardul to Mayank Agarwal in the slips.

To conclude the session, Shardul got one to seam back at Rassie van der Dussen with bounce and the batsman inside-edged onto his thigh that barely carried to Rishabh Pant.

India had their task cut out in the morning session with Mohammad Siraj not bowling full tilt after a leg injury and they would be delighted at Shardul Thakur doing the job with the ball just when they needed it the most. 

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The Ashes | 4th Test: With nothing to lose, England eye consolation in Sydney

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