What all went in the first Test between India and South Africa at Newlands, the same repeated in teh second Test at Centurion in the case of Indian team.The bowlers bowled their hearts out, but the batsmen failed to show a spine except Virat Kohli’s first innings 150.
The Proteas have defeated India by 135 runs in the second Test of the three-match series at Supersport Park in Centurion. With this win, the hosts have won the series and have eventually completed the revenge of their 2015 tour when India had blanked them by 3-0 in the four-match rubber.
The home team though came with a lot of expectations and have been literally blown away by a well-equipped sqaud. However, the credit totally goes to the debutant Lungi Ngidi who scalped a six-wicket haul in the second innings. The player of the match Lungi Ngidi was delighted over his match-winning performance.
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first. Posted 335 runs in the first innings as the Indian bowlers bowled extremely well to stage the Indian comeback but the batsmen failed once again as the skipper alone stood tall with the fantastic knock of 153 runs. India conceded the lead of 28 runs in the first innings.
Followed by South Africa posted 258 runs in the second innings with Dean Elgar and AB de Villiers’ fifties. Team India’s target was 287 in the final innings which looked like they can use the opportunity to level the series. Once again the four pacers of South Africa caught them hopping as they bundled them out for 151 runs sealing the series 2-0 of 3-match series.
The losing captain Virat Kohli accepted they were the second best team in the contest. He believed that South Africa deserved full credit to win the series and they were outplayed in all departments in the first two Tests. Team India skipper Virat Kohli in the post-match presentation said,
“Yeah (the wicket gave us our best chance). We thought the wicket was really flat. Quite surprising. I told the guys the wicket looks different to what it looked before toss. I thought it was our chance to put some runs on the board. Especially after SA lost wickets in the first innings, we should have capitalized.
We failed to get a good partnership and take the lead. We have let ourselves down from the first game into the second. The bowlers have done the job but the batsmen have let the team down again and that’s why we stand here. I want to leave everything on the field, for my country, for my team.
That’s the way I play. 150(sic) means nothing right now that we have lost the series. If we had won, even a 50 or a 30 would have mattered more to me. Having not won the game, personal milestones don’t matter to me. As a team, you want to win collectively. We tried but we weren’t good enough.
South Africa were better than us, especially in the fielding department, and that’s why they are the winners. And they deserve to be.”
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