India stand firm against disciplined Proteas

India’s batsmen withstood mounting pressure on the second morning of the first test against South Africa at Newlands on Saturday.

The visitors reached lunch on 76/4 in reply to South Africa’s first innings of 286. Cheteshwar Pujara was 26 not out with Ravichandran Ashwin on 12.

India lost three wickets in the 11 overs they faced on Friday evening‚ and considering the home side’s top order was dismissed in the first five overs on Friday it seemed a similar slide awaited on Saturday morning.

Instead‚ South Africa toiled for 17.2 overs and more than an hour before they claimed the only wicket of the session — Kagiso Rabada trapped Rohit Sharma in front in the eight over before lunch.

Sharma spent 95 minutes and 59 balls on his 11‚ which captures India’s disciplined approach in the face of South Africa’s miserly bowling. Pujara‚ for instance‚ has already faced 91 balls.

India resumed on 28/3‚ and the score stayed unmoved for four consecutive maidens sent down by Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.

In all 10 of the 25 overs bowled in the session were scoreless and only 48 runs were scored.

But India will be satisfied that they didn’t lose more than one wicket.

Steyn‚ who is playing his first test since fracturing a shoulder in November 2016‚ delivered a first spell of 5-3-9-0.

Rabada bowled with welcome fire in his six overs‚ in which he took 1/14.