India won the Second Test in Pune against South Africa by an innings and 137 runs, claiming victory with more than a day to spare, having utterly dominated the match virtually from the first ball to the last.
The day began with South Africa forced to follow on, after they were bowled out in their first innings for 275, in reply to India’s massive 601 – 5 declared.
And any faint hopes the visitors had of saving the match were dealt a severe early blow when opener Aiden Markram was lbw to Ishant Sharma off just the second ball of the day.
Dean Elgar and Theunis de Bruyn put on 21, but de Bruyn was the next man to go, caught behind by Wriddiham Saha off the bowling of Umesh Yadav for 8. Elgar and his captain Faf du Plessis added 49 for the third wicket, with Elgar doing the vast majority of the scoring, but both fell in successive overs bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin. First, du Plessis was caught behind by Saha for 5, and then Elgar, who had made 48, was caught by Yadav at mid-off, mis-timing an attacking shot down the ground. When Quinton de Kock was bowled by Ravindra Jadeja for just 5, South Africa had slumped to 79 – 5.
Temba Bavuma and Senuran Muthusamy showed some resistance with a stand of 46, but then both were out in quick order. First to go was Bavuma, who had scored 38, including one six, superbly caught by Ajinkya Rahane, with Jadeja the bowler again. And then Mohammed Shami banged in a short delivery which Muthusamy could only edge to Rohit Sharma at second slip, dismissed having scored 9.
As in their first innings, it was the tail enders of Vernon Philander and Keshav Maharaj who showed some of their more illustrious colleagues how to bat, as they compiled the best partnership of the innings, putting on 56, and extending the match past tea. However, then Philander, who had made 37, including 2 sixes, was out in disappointing fashion, flicking at a ball from Yadav down the leg side, and getting an edge to Saha behind the stumps.
The end of the innings then came quickly. Five balls later, Kagiso Rabada was caught by Rohit at slip off Yadav, with Maharaj the last man out, lbw to Jadeja for 22. South Africa had been bowled out for 185 second time round.
The wickets were shared amongst the Indian bowlers. Yadav finished with 3 for 22, Jadeja 3 for 52, and Ashwin 2 for 45. There was a wicket apiece for Shami and Sharma.
