Former India opener turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has made his predictions for Day 2 of the third and final Test between India and South Africa. While Team India could manage 223 runs on Day 1, they removed Dean Elgar early in the South African innings too.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra has predicted that Jasprit Bumrah will take a lot of wickets. He said: “I am thinking that Jasprit Bumrah will pick up four wickets.”
However, Jasprit Bumrah has bowled four consecutive maiden overs before Stumps on Day 1 and dismissed Elgar as well. The veteran also reckons that Temba Bavuma and Keegan Petersen will do well for South Africa. Notably, Bavuma is the third-highest run-scorer in the series so far, behind only KL Rahul and Elgar. His 161 runs have come at an average of 80.50 which also included a couple of half-centuries. On the other hand, Petersen has scored 122 runs, with a top score of 62.
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Aakash Chopra opined: “I feel Bavuma and Keegan Petersen will together make more than 60 runs. I feel South Africa will take the 1st innings lead as well. The truth is that Dean Elgar, who is the biggest thorn, Jasprit Bumrah has dismissed him. But there will be partnerships in the second day’s play because I don’t see the Cape Town pitch as responsive. It does not have that pace or the uneven bounce. It is getting faster but it is an even pitch. Even we had partnerships but none of them was a century partnership.”
He again shared: “Ashwin will get to bowl less than 15 overs, I feel he might even get less than 12 overs.”
Meanwhile, he also praised Virat Kohli’s 79-run knock which was more precious than many of his tons as well. However, Kohli played a stunning knock in India’s first innings and helped his side to post a decent total.
He said: “We saw the patience, discipline, determination, dedication and that it is mind over matter. Whatever you want to see in a batter in Test cricket, you got to see that. A century has not been missed by 21 runs but he has scored 79 runs. These 79 runs are more valuable than a lot of centuries.”
He also added that Kohli’s praise should be remembered for many years and he also believes Kohli would have scored a hundred if he had adequate support from the other end.
“The lone ranger Virat Kohli was left alone as the entire team got out from the other end. You should write poetry in his praise, the sort of batting we saw. We see the beautiful shots from Kohli, we see the domination and the passion. Here, we saw the passion but not the domination.” Aakash Chopra said.
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“He did play the drives but played them only after forcing the bowlers to bowl straight, else he will keep on leaving the deliveries. If a partner had remained, he might have scored a few more runs and probably the wait for the century would have ended. Whoever saw this knock, will remember it for a long time. It was a knock of absorbing pressure, Kohli was exactly like a sponge. One of the finest knocks you would have seen,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
