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on Day 1. Meanwhile, the Indian vice-captain notched up his 7th Test century. He became the only second Indian opener to score a hundred on the opening day of a tour outside Asia.
Though India dominated the first day, there were some disappointing factors as well. Cheteshwar Pujara, regarded as the modern-day wall, bagged a golden duck. Captain Virat Kohli had a good time in the middle but could bat for a longer duration.
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For South Africa, it turned out to be a toiling day for the bowlers. In the first hour, South Africa employed four pace options in Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Wiaan Mulder, and debutant Marco Jansen. But none of them was able to put Rahul and Agarwal in trouble. Rahul was extremely compact with his leaves while Agarwal fetched India’s first boundary with a square drive off Ngidi.
Five overs later, Rahul got his first boundary with a straight-bat drive past mid-off off Rabada. Jansen, coming in at first-change, got hit for three boundaries as Agarwal drove him through the off-side while flicking him twice through mid-wicket. Jansen came under further attack from Agarwal as the right-hander smashed successive boundaries on both sides of the wicket. On the next ball, Agarwal was dropped on 36 by keeper Quinton de Kock, spoiling South Africa’s first genuine chance of getting a breakthrough.
Rahul gained pace as he drove Mulder twice through sweeper-cover while Agarwal tucked a short ball from Ngidi through fine leg. But on the next ball, Ngidi trapped Agarwal in front with a delivery that came in from the back of a length and hit pads after going past the inner edge.
Kohli then began the final session with a flick through square-leg off Maharaj. Rabada troubled him a bit but Kohli came forward and unfurled his cover drive. Rahul too was troubled by Rabada but managed to caress a drive through extra cover.
Rahul then went on to smack Maharaj for a pulled four through mid-wicket, followed by dancing down the pitch to hit a six over long-on. Ngidi bowled seven consecutive dot balls to Kohli and on the eighth ball, in a bid to break free, Kohli chased a delivery wide outside the off-stump and gave an easy catch to Mulder at first slip.
(With Agency Inputs)
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