India vs South Africa, 4th Test, Day 1: Rahane masterclass takes India to respectable total

Rahane regained form as he re-built the Indian innings after early damage done by Peidt and Abbott.

Ajinkya Rahane regained form, as he scored the first half-century of the series, while Dane Peidt had a day to remember as he exploited the Indian top order, and yet again exposed their lack of patience and control in playing spin on friendly surfaces, on the first day of the 4th Test between India and South Africa, at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.

India won the toss and chose to bat in a game that despite being a dead rubber, with India having already won the series by winning the Nagpur Test and taking a 2-0 lead in the four-match series. The second test at Bengaluru was washed out due to rain.

Contrary to the previous surfaces produced during the series, this pitch had a considerable amount of help for the seamers as Kyle Abott, sharing the new ball with Morne Morkel, troubled India’s best batsman in the series so far – Murali Vijay.

Abott bowled a tight line around the off-stump and made the move in the air as well as off the pitch, thereby having the Indian opener play, nudge and miss deliveries, before nicking off in the slips, albeit on a no-ball. Abott’s foot was just on the line, but with no part of the foot behind it, as was adjudged by the TV umpire.

Murali had an early escape, but couldn’t make that count, as Dane Peidt, playing only in his second Test, had him caught in the slips yet again, with a delivery that pitched on off-stump or just outside, and straightened instead of turning. India survived the rest of the session and were 60/1 at lunch.

The second session, though, was the one that decided the course of the day as the Proteas dismantled the Indian top-order. Pujara’s struggles with missing the line of the ball continued as he inside-edged an incoming Abott delivery on to his stumps to give India its first blow after lunch.

Virat Kohli, in at No. 4 then led a counter-attack along with Shikhar Dhawan, with careful but aggressive batting, hitting boundaries all around the ground.

But Piedt and South Africa struck back, with Peidt setting Dhawan up with some turning deliveries before trapping him leg-before with a one that didn’t turn. Kohli, though, continued attacking and stitched up a 70-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane, before finding himself at the receiving end of an unfortunate dismissal.

Kohli swept a Dane Peidt delivery fiercely, but the ball ricocheted off Temba Bavuma’s thighs standing at short-leg and ballooned up in the air. Wicket-keeper Dane Vilas realised that took a brilliant running catch to dismiss the Indian captain.

The Kohli dismissal initiated a brief slide, as Rohit Sharma, after being given a life by Amla at slips, holed out to Imran Tahir off the bowling of Dane Piedt.

Seeing two new batsmen at the crease and sensing an opportunity, Amla brought back Kyle Abbott, who immediately rewarded him with the wicket of Wriddhiman Saha, as another batsman played-on to his stumps, failing to judge the line of the delivery. India went to Tea at 139/6.

Ravindra Jadeja, India’s all-rounder, who has done justice to this role throughout the series didn’t disappoint here either, as he led the repair work after Tea, as he stitched a 59-run partnership with Rahane, before being done-in by Abott who bowled beautifully throughout the day.

India remained unscathed after that as a defiant Ravi Ashwin, along with a cautious but attacking Ajinkya Rahane, shared and unbeaten 33-run partnership to lead them to the end of the day when bad lights stopped play in the final session.

Rahane remained unbeaten on 89 in an innings that was studded with 9 fours and 2 sixes, as he held the Indian innings together while the lower-middle order batted around him lost their way.

Rahane’s return to form is a big sign of relief for India, whose batsmen haven’t quite been able to live up to the expectations. Rahane displayed a patient show, carefully negotiating spin as well as pace, though he did get a respite by Amla again, who, on the other hand, didn’t have a very good day behind the wickets at slips.

India 1st Innings – Batting	231/7 (84 overs)
Batsman	Runs
Murali Vijay	12 (59)
Shikhar Dhawan	33 (85)
Cheteshwar Pujara	14 (37)
Virat Kohli	44 (62)
Ajinkya Rahane	89* (155)
Rohit Sharma	1 (6)
Wriddhiman Saha	1 (15)
Ravindra Jadeja	24 (59)
Ravichandran Ashwin	6* (29)

South Africa 1st Innings – Bowling
Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets
Morne Morkel	17	50	0
Kyle Abbott	17	23	3
Dane Piedt	34	101	4
Imran Tahir	7	36	0
Dean Elgar	5	15	0
Jean-Paul Duminy	4	12	0