Shardul Thakur’s historic 7/61 puts India ahead of South Africa in Johannesburg Test

The right-arm seam bowler Shardul Thakur recorded the best figures for any bowler from India in 41 Tests, spanning over 29 years playing against South Africa in their backyard on Tuesday, helping his side restrict the hosts to a 229 with a slender lead of 27 runs that gave them an edge momentarily. 

But by the time the play ended on Tuesday, India were ahead by 58 runs with Cheteshwar Pujara powering to 35 not out from only 42 balls in an innings laced with 7 boundaries. India's embattled middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane was at the crease having made 11 from 22 balls, as the visiting side finished their second innings at stumps on Day Two at 85/2.

That India find themselves in a commanding position of the Johannesburg Test is largely because of an incredible performance by Thakur, who returned with figures of 17.5-3-61-7, running through a tentative and under pressure South African batting line-up  which desperately tried to put its best foot forward throughout the day on Tuesday.

South Africa No 3 batsman Keegan Petersen brought up his maiden half-century in Test cricket, scoring 62 from 118 balls with 9 boundaries whereas the diminutive Temba Bavuma yet again fell after crossing the milestone, this time for 51 from 60 balls with 6 boundaries and a six. The home team fought hard but could not built on a strong lead, as they lost wickets in regular intervals to India and Thakur.

The home team captain Dean Elgar indeed have a some criticism headed his way after he crawled to 28 from 120 balls with only 4 boundaries in innings where in he, at times, looked clueless as far as scoring runs were concerned. Elgar also struggled in his dealings with the relentless battery of Indian fast bowlers.

But irrespective of his struggles, Elgar added 74 runs for the second wicket with Petersen which also happened to be the best partnership for South Africa. The hosts also had Bavuma and wicketkeeper-batsman Kyle Verreynne adding 60 from 122 balls — a partnership for the fifth wicket which took them past India's first innings total.

But South Africa could not resist long enough against Thakur, who accounted for Elgar, Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen (1), Bavuma, Verreynne, Jansen and Lungi Ngidi to record historic figures at the Wanderers.

In India’s second essay, South Africa fast bowler Jansen removed the dangerous KL Rahul for 8 while Duanne Olivier got one to nip back into Mayank Agarwal sharply, who was caught surprised by the movement of the ball. Agarwal was adjudged out leg-before for a brisk 23 which came off 37 balls and 5 boundaries.

On a pitch that has uneven bounce and carry, Agarwal and Pujara laid the right blueprint for batting, which anyway remained a difficult business on the first two days of the second Test in Johannesburg. Both these Indian batsmen hit plenty of boundaries to help their side edge ahead, after South Africa had won the bragging rights on the opening day for having bowled India out for 202.

For India, the job is far from done as they continued to remain in a precarious position, with two of their most experienced yet out of sorts batsmen at the crease. Pujara has indeed done well to get off a flying start but his team would require the right-handed batsman to bat for as long as possible on the fourth day to help India build a strong lead. The pressure is equally on Rahane, whose first-innings duck added to his long list of ordinary scores in the only format he plays cricket for India.

India are ahead by 58 runs overall and would be targeting any score in excess of 200, which would be enough to challenge South Africa given that the pitch will only deteriorate and it never assisted batsmen to play long innings.