Keshav Maharaj Out Of Third Test Against India

Luck seems to have deserted South Africa on their ongoing tour of India. Barring the win in the second T20I, not much has gone their way. In a fresh setback, their spin spearhead Keshav Maharaj has been ruled out of the third and final Test in Ranchi. India have already wrapped up the series after winning the second Test on Sunday.

The hosts thrashed the Proteas by an innings and 137 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. India captain Virat Kohli led the way by scoring a sublime unbeaten double century in the first innings of the match, helping his team post a mammoth total of 601 for 5 (declared).

In reply, South Africa were all out for 275. India then did not hesitate in enforcing the follow-on on the fourth day after taking a huge 326-run lead. In reply, South Africa once again faltered with the bat and were all out for just 189. The writing was very much on the wall after they lost their first five wickets for just 79 runs.

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At one stage it looked like South Africa would not even manage to touch the 150-mark. But the lower-order batsmen provided some much-needed resistance to provide some respectability to the total. The Proteas will now be looking to put up a better show in Ranchi as they eye their first point in ICC Test Championship.

However, they will have to do it without Keshav Maharaj. A shoulder injury has ended the left-arm spinner’s tour of India prematurely. Left-arm spinner George Linde has replaced Keshav Maharaj in the squad. Maharaj, meanwhile, had a decent series with both bat and ball. In three innings, he picked up 6 wickets in addition to scoring a fifty in the first innings of the second Test.