While Team India is taking on South Africa in the second Test under KL Rahul’s captaincy in the absence of Virat Kohli, he can be seen gesturing the hosts to get ready for the run chase after India were bundled out for a total of 266 runs. Notably, Kohli has sustained an injury and was eventually out of the Test.
Before the stumps, South Africa posted 118 runs with the loss of 2 wickets. They need 122 runs to win the game and level the series. However, India have already won the first Test.
Virat yarr😂😂 pic.twitter.com/fYfFdcP1nP
— Kanav Bali🏏 (@Concussion__Sub) January 5, 2022
Here’s how Twitterati reacted:
Virat Kohli sledging the few SA fans present at the ground 😭
— India Fantasy (@india_fantasy) January 5, 2022
— Neelabh (@CricNeelabh) January 5, 2022
SA openers were passing from there as they were running to get ready.. Virat gestured them to get ready ASAP.. 😅😅
— Bharat Chopra (@BharatChopraa) January 5, 2022
Meanwhile, India pacer Shardul Thakur made headlines with his spell. He registered the best figures by an Asian cricketer in South Africa – 7/61 – in Johannesburg on Tuesday and earned praises from everyone, including former player Shaun Pollock.
Pollock told Cricbuzz: “There must be a self-belief in #LordThakur (chuckles), with the way he’s performed. And a brilliant 7/61… I think just his angle on the crease was the key to his success here. From wide, he was angling in and getting it to shape away, and then if it didn’t do that, it would sort of nip back and get the batters to play at it. His game plan was pretty good, he didn’t mix it up too much, there was the odd short delivery thrown in but he just kept running in almost like he had this magical or real desire to try and prove a point…”
READ HERE: Wasim Jaffer names batting-order for 2nd Test vs New Zealand
While speaking in the same video, India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik said he has a “special place” in his heart for Shardul Thakur. He said that he has admired the seamer since his state cricket days, where he had a similar knack for taking wickets. However, this was also Shardul Thakur’s maiden five-wicket haul in international cricket.
Karthik added: “I have a special place for him in my heart only because as a domestic player he’s played 60-70 matches for Bombay [Mumbai] which has done phenomenally well… Obviously, he started as the third bowler but went on to become their lead bowler along with Dhawal Kulkarni and did brilliantly well for them. He was the guy who used to pick up wickets early, partnership breaker there as well, so he’s used to this. And just his attitude – I mean, if you just look at him and look at the skills of a Bumrah or a Shami, you go ‘Wow, what’s so special about him?’ But I think his specialty is his self-confidence.”
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“I think South Africa’s approach will be a lot different. I think India would go in a lot happier than they would have [expected] after the partnership, the rate at which they scored the runs and the 58 they have on the board. It’s going to be interesting. The wicket is going to continue misbehaving… I think if India can set anything more than 220-225 and up to 250, it will be a really big ask of South Africa to try and knock that off,” Pollock concluded.
