Missed chances costly for Proteas after excellent start, Bavuma pulls up

Two missed catches and an injury to captain Temba Bavuma spoiled what otherwise was turning into an excellent morning for the Proteas in the opening Test of their two-match series with India on Tuesday. 

The tourists went to lunch on 91/3 in Centurion — a situation that could have been so much worse — with Virat Kholi on 33 and Shreyas Iyer on 31. Both were beneficiaries of South Africa’s profligacy in the field during a wild first session, the start of which was delayed by half an hour while a member of the ground staff attended to damp patches on the pitch.

Lunch was taken with the sun beating down on the ground, the complete opposite of conditions when Bavuma won the toss and understandably chose to bowl.

Under leaden skies and on a well-grassed surface, South Africa’s bowlers had the early advantage with the conditions and while Marco Jansen was wasteful in his first three overs, the rest were not. 

Kagiso Rabada gradually grew into his work in a lengthy opening burst from the West Lane End, claiming an early prize when Indian skipper Rohit Sharma misjudged one of his favourite shots, the swivel pull, and deposited the ball straight into the grateful hands of debutant Nandre Burger at deep backward square leg. 

Rohit, whose highest score in South Africa is 47, saw his average in this country drop to just 13.3 from 10 innings. 

Burger’s start, after replacing Jansen at the Hennops River End, brought almost immediate reward. The 28-year-old — picked ahead of Lungi Ngidi, who despite recovering from an ankle injury was deemed not match fit — bowled at good pace and moved the ball both ways through the air and off the pitch, unsettling India’s young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal.

His innings ended on 17 when he drove wildly at one that moved away from him, with the thick edge diverting the ball to Kyle Verreynne. 

Shubman Gill fell victim to a legside "strangle", which on-field umpire Langton Rusere initially did not hear. It was understandable as replays showed the ball only glancing Gill’s glove and there were plenty of high fives for Verreynne, who had insisted that Bavuma send the decision for review. 

At 24/3, Bavuma’s decision at the toss was being vindicated, but the tide turned, with the Proteas primarily responsible. Two missed chances either side of the drinks break gave Kohli and India the foothold they desperately needed. 

Iyer was the first beneficiary, with Jansen — who has looked lethargic and low on confidence since the latter stages of the World Cup — dropping a sitter at backward point, deflecting the ball to the boundary to worsen the situation. 

In the next over, Kohli got a big slice of luck. Tony de Zorzi dropped him at square leg and though the fielder had to dive, the ball wasn’t struck firmly in the least. Both Indian batters were on four when missed and had those catches been taken the visitors would have been five down before their total had reached 40. 

Kohli, knowing conditions were not favourable to batters, smartly took quick singles, while in the second half of the opening session South Africa served up too many freebies, allowing the Indian pair to flick balls off their legs — one of which Iyer deposited over square leg for six. 

Twenty-five minutes before lunch, Bavuma, while chasing a Kohli drive, pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring problem. That only added more gloom to South Africa’s mood after such a bright start, and head coach’s Shukri Conrad’s look of thunder as the teams walked off the field was totally understandable.