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Team India opted for a different practice session before Centurion Test
By Aditya Pratap - Jan 11, 2018 9:04 pm
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India
Team India

The Virat Kohli-led Team India was involved in a rather strange training session ahead of the second Test against South Africa at Centurion beginning on Saturday. Team India, led by Virat Kohli, was seen warming up at the practice grounds with pacer Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma and others seemingly chasing one each other and exchanging bibs during their session.

India are currently 1-0 down in the three-match Test series against South Africa. The visitors were convincingly beaten by 72 runs after a batting collapse. Vernon Philander starred with the ball for South Africa in both the innings at Cape Town. The pacer took three wickets in India’s 1st innings and claimed six more in the second as the visitors failed to chase down the 208-run target set by South Africa.

India had looked to seize control of the Test when they bowled South Africa out for 130 in the morning session, but found the home attack on the seamer-friendly wicket too much of a challenge. After day three had been a washout, 18 wickets fell in 64 overs on Monday, all going to seamers.

South Africa resumed on 65 for two, but were only able to double their score before they lost their last eight wickets. Mohammed Shami (3-28) and debutant Jasprit Bumrah (3-39) were the pick of the Indian bowlers and there were two wickets for Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-33). India’s batsmen couldn’t decipher the hosts’ variations subsequently succumbed to the pressure.

Philander then took three wickets in four balls to seal victory after a seventh-wicket stand of 49 between top-scorer Ravichandran Ashwin (37) and Bhuvneshwar (13 not out) had briefly sent jitters through the Newlands crowd.