• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Sa Vs Ind Lone Warrior Kohli Notches Up Half Century But Visitors Bundled Out For 223 In First Innings

SA vs IND: Lone warrior Kohli notches up half-century but visitors bundled out for 223 in first innings

India were bowled out for 223 in the first innings of third Test at Newlands against South Africa on Tuesday. After winning the toss, skipper Virat Kohli opted to bat first but his decision went a bit haywire when openers KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal returned back to the pavilion early. 

But Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli steadied the ship for the side and didn’t let any further fall of wickets in the first session. 

While Pujara punished the bad deliveries, Kohli showed a lot more patience especially around that outside off stump channel. Pujara was eventually undone for a well-compiled 43 by Jansen, courtesy a brilliant ball that just moved away from the right-hander a bit after pitching on the off stump line and took the outside edge. 

Verreynne completed the catch behind the stumps. Kohli was then joined in by Ajinkya Rahane who wasn’t really able to make much of a contribution and was removed for 9 by Kagiso Rabada. 

India were on the back foot after losing two wickets but captain Kohli and wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant provided the resistance and 51-run stand for the fifth wicket. 

But Pant’s dismissal for 27 broke the shackles and India began to lose wickets at regular intervals. Kohli was the lone warrior for the visitors after he notched up 79 in 201 deliveries. For South Africa it was Rabada who scalped a four-fer while Janesan picked up three wickets. 

Discover more
Top Stories
news

SA vs IND: Patient Virat Kohli frustrate SA bowlers as India fight back in second session

India Test skipper Virat Kohli has shown a lot of patience in the first innings of the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town. The Proteas’ pacers peppered the right-hander with the deliveries outside off stump which he has negotiated pretty well. Though, Kohli and his fans had some hiccups during the course after he edged one which didn’t really carry to the slips while there was a caught behind appeal on a delivery going down the leg which was eventually given not out by the umpire. Barring these, Kohli has been very cautious in the first two sessions of the first day’s play and was at 40* off 139 deliveries when Tea was called. The visitors began the second session with Pujara and Kohli being there at the crease. But a peach of a delivery from Jansen to Pujara sent the batter packing. The left-arm pacer bowled a length delivery that pitched on off-stump line and slightly moved away from the batsman taking the outside edge of his bat and Verreynne completed an easy catch. Pujara was dismissed for 43. Pujara was replaced by Rahane in the middle but the former vice-captain’s stay wasn’t a long one. Rahane too received a brilliant delivery from Rabada that was pitched a bit short and came into the right-hander breaching his defence to take the inner edge. Verreynne completed yet another catch in the innings to send Rahane back in hut for 9. India lost a couple of wickets before Pant and Kohli resisted well and see through the second session. The visiting side was 141/4 with Kohli at 40* and Pant at 12*.