South Africa vs India: Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar push India closer to 200-mark

Hardik Pandya turned out to be a knight in the shining armor for struggling Team India which further saw him being given reprieve twice during his gritty innings. The Virat Kohli-led side posted 185 for seven on board in 61 overs when the tea break was taken on day two of the first Test at Newlands in Cape Town on January 6.

In the second session, India scored 109 runs which saw them scoring at 4.36 runs after facing 25 overs,

The promising youngster Pandya played some delightful strokes alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar (24* off 65), who has had equally supported the former in the all-important partnership which has frustrated the opposition.

Both posted the vital 93-run partnership for the eight wickets to force opposition skipper Faf du Plessis change his mind.

When South Africa was going stronger, it was Pandya who shifted the gears which further saw him collecting 13 boundaries and a solitary maximum.

However, Pandya was dropped by Dean Elgar, and Quinton de Kock missed a stumping chance on the bowling of Keshav Maharaj.

The right-handed batsman Pandya is batting on 81 off 68 balls, as Bhuvneshwar collecting 22 off 61 balls.

Following the superb display with the willow from the lower order batsmen, India is trailing by 101 runs in the first innings.

At one stage India was reeling at 92 for seven in 41.4 overs when gloveman Wriddhiman Saha was trapped in front of the stumps while offering no stroke on the bowling of paceman Dale Steyn.

Ravichandran Ashwin was caught superbly by gloveman Quinton de Kock while flying to his right.

Ashwin scored 12 runs off 31 balls which included two boundaries.

Here is the video of Ravichandran Ashwin’s wicket:

https://twitter.com/PRINCE3758458/status/949636217888374784

The sixth-wicket partnership saw just five when Ashwin trudged off the ground

Earlier on the very first after lunch, Cheteshwar Pujara nicked the wider delivery, as skipper Faf du Plessis completed a good catch at second slip after the later post 26 off 92 balls.

At lunch, visitors were 76 for four in 25 overs after the overnight score of 28 for three in 11 overs.

Read More here about South Africa Vs. India:

South Africa Vs. India: Lunch Report – India off to a cautious start

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