India lost the second Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg by 7 wickets as South Africa chased down the 240-run target on Day 4 to level the three-match series. Captain Deal Elgar scored a gutsy 96* while the likes of Rassi van der Dussen (41), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen and Temba Bavuma made useful contributions. The victory also ended India’s spotless record at the venue — the visitors had never lost a Test at the Wanderers. India’s seamers, for once, failed to perform as per expectations. Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Shardul Thakur bowled their hearts out without much luck and success. The series-deciding third and final Test match in Cape Town will begin on January 11.
Here is our report card of the India playing XI for the Johannesburg Test
Mayank Agarwal – 4/10, Below Average
Just like in the first Test in Johannesburg, Mayank Agarwal looked good in both the innings of this Test but somehow failed to convert his starts into something substantial. The India opener managed scores of 26 and 23 in Johannesburg.
KL Rahul – 6/10, Above Average
Rahul missed out in the second innings but overall, he was pretty good as a batter, scoring a fighting fifty in India’s first innings when the rest of the batters struggled against the moving ball but he perhaps could have done better as a captain, especially in South Africa’s second innings. The right-hander was leading India after regular captain Virat Kohli was ruled out with a back spasm.
Cheteshwar Pujara – 6/10, Above Average
India’s No.3 played an attacking knock in India’s second innings when the chips were down. India had lost their openers early and desperately needed a partnership. That is when Pujara, who was horribly short of runs in the series, put his hand up and scored a quickfire 53 to help India take a decent enough lead. The right-hander, however, is far from his best and would need to contribute more consistently to keep the youngsters at bay.
Ajinkya Rahane – 6/10, Above Average
Rahane’s spot in the Test side has been under scrutiny for some time now. The criticism went up when the veteran right-hander registered his first golden duck in Test cricket in the first innings of the Johannesburg Test. However, like he has often done in his career, Rahane came back strongly in the second innings to emerge as India’s top run-getter. It was his 58-run knock and the 111-run stand that he put with Pujara that enabled India to give South Africa a 240-run target.
Hanuma Vihari – 6/10 Above Average
There was a lot of talk when Vihari was not included in the Test squad for the home series against New Zealand and rightly so, as the right-hander had done well overseas in the limited opportunities that he had got. He got a chance to be a part of the XI in place of the injured Virat Kohli. The right-hander scored a fighting 22 in the first innings but his unbeaten knock of 40 in the second innings was crucial.
Rishabh Pant – 3/10, Poor
The India wicketkeeper-batter was disappointing with the bat. He failed to notch a notable score in the first innings but what drew a lot of criticism was the shot the left-hander played in India’s second innings. Facing only his third ball, Pant went down the track to Kagiso Rabada trying to hit the premier South African pacer over the top but ended up getting an outside edge to the keeper.
Ravichandran Ashwin – 6/10, Above Average
Ashwin became the first Indian spinner to pick up a wicket at the Wanderers after the legendary Anil Kumble. He tried his best with the ball but conditions were just not responsive enough for him to make a difference with the ball. With the bat, however, he made a useful contribution of 46 in India’s first innings.
Shardul Thakur – 9/10, Excellent
India’s best performer of the second Test by some distance. Shardul Thakur was simply superb with the ball. In fact, if it wasn’t for his 7 for 61 in the first innings – best figures by an Indian against South Africa in Tests – South Africa would have run away with the game. Shardul also made a quickfire 28 off 24 balls in India’s second innings.
Mohammed Shami – 7/10, Good
India’s hero of the first Test bowled his heart out even in the second but luck was not on his side; otherwise, he would have ended up with many more wickets and even the outcome of the match could have been different. Shami picked up two wickets in the first innings and one in the second.
Jasprit Bumrah – 3/10, Poor
It would be criminal to point fingers at someone like Bumrah after just one Test match but even his greatest admirers would agree that he was not up to his standards at the Wanderers. He was just not patient enough on a track that had a lot of help for the seamers and the results were there to be seen: just one wicket in the entire match. Bumrah went wicketless in the second innings when India needed him the most.
Promoted
Mohammed Siraj – 3/10, Poor
Siraj was the only Indian bowler who went wicketless in the entire Test but he had his reasons. He just wasn’t the same bowler after he hurt his calf muscle while running in to bowl very early in South Africa’s first innings. He did come back to bowl the next day and also in the second innings but his run-up didn’t have that energy and as a result, he didn’t get enough purchase from the track.
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