New Delhi: A five-wicket haul by Ravindra Jadeja and a well-deserved century by Ajinkya Rahane helped India to a strong position in the fourth and final cricket Test against South Africa at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Friday.
Having dismissed India for 334 runs, the Proteas were bundled out for 121 in their first innings with Jadeja boasting figures of 5/30.
The Indians however, decided against enforcing the follow-on and will begin their second innings when play resumes on Saturday.
The hosts suffered a scare when Cheteshwar Pujara was hit by a Dean Elgar shot while fielding and was taken to the hospital with a minor injury. The Indian team management however, assured that he will be fit to play on Friday.
The Indian bowlers claimed as many as nine wickets in the final session of the day to push South Africa to the wall. Pacers Umesh Yadav (2/32) and Ishant Sharma (1/23) and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (1/12) were all among the wickets.
Earlier, Rahane notched up his fifth Test century to propel India to a big total. The Mumbai batsman scored 127 runs with 11 boundaries and four sixes before being dismissed by Dane Piedt.
Ashwin (56) also tormented the South African bowlers, scoring a half-century with six hits to the fence and a six. Rahane and Ashwin added 98 runs between them, the highest partnership of the series so far, to help the hosts post a big total.
The visitors rode on superb bowling from leg-spinner Imran Tahir and pacer Kyle Abbott to end India's first innings just after the lunch break.
Tahir claimed the vital wicket of Rahane in the morning session for figures of 1/66 while Abbott sent back Ashwin and Ishant off successive deliveries to have a handosme return of 4/117.
Off-spinner Dane Piedt (5/40) did not manage to add to his tally on Friday.
The visitors then endured a difficult start to their first innings as Indian pacers Yadav and Ishant bowled with pace and aggression. The occasional delivery was keeping low, which complicated matters for the batsmen.
Openers Temba Bavuma and Elgar survived several close calls before the latter edged Yadav to wicketkeeper Wriddhhiman Saha.
That saw Hashim Amla join Bavuma in the middle and the duo ensured that the visitors did not lose any more wickets till lunch.
Jadeja came into his own when play resumed, bowling Bavuma in the very first over after the break. Amla continued his recent run of low scores, offering an easy catch behind the stumps while attempting to cut a Jadeja delivery that was spinning away.
The in-form Faf du Plesis virtually gifted his wicket to Jadeja with a miscued paddle-sweep before Yadav sent J.P. Duminy's off-stump for a walk with a beautiful delivery that shaped slightly in after pitching.
The Proteas continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and by the time A.B. de Villiers holed out in the deep, their innings was virtually over.
India strike back after Ajinkya Rahane, Ashwin take them to 334
Ajinkya Rahane scored his fifth Test century to lay the foundation for India's decent first innings score of 334 before South Africa reached 38/1 at tea on the second day of the fourth and final cricket Test here today.
Comeback-man Umesh Yadav removed Dean Elgar (17) , who was caught by Wriddhiman Saha trying to steer a fuller delivery.
Temba Bavuma (20 batting) and skipper Hashim Amla (1 batting) were at the crease for South Africa during tea break. The highlight of the second day certainly was Rahane's 127 off 215 balls as he achieved the distinction of being the first player from either side to have reached a three-figure mark in this low-scoring series so far.
The stylish right-hander's knock was studded with 11 fours and as many as five sixes. He added 98 runs off 193 balls for the eighth wicket with Ravichandran Ashwin (56), who completed his sixth half-century in the longest format.
Incidentally, this was also the highest stand for any wicket among either teams in the series. The Rahane-Ashwin duo surpassed the previous best of 86 between Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara.
Among the many firsts, it was Rahane's first hundred on home soil. This was also the first time that one team passed a total of 300 runs in this series with the previous highest being 215 at Nagpur.
This was also the first time that only one wicket fell in a single session which yielded 95 runs. Another first was Rahane getting a hundred against South Africa and he has now scored five centuries against five different oppositions: Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
What made the knock even more special is the fact that this is the ground where he made an inauspicious Test debut failing (7 & 1) in both innings.
Rahane's moment of glory came with a beautiful straight drive off Kyle Abbott as the entire Indian dressing room gave him a standing ovation. The 100 came off 180 balls which included 10 well-timed boundaries and two sixes. (PTI)
Proteas end India's first innings at 334
New Delhi: India were bowled out for 334 in their first innings on the second day of the fourth and final cricket Test against South Africa at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Friday.
Overnight batsman Ajinkya Rahane was the highest scorer with 127. He smashed 11 boundaries and four sixes on way to his fifth Test century. Ravichandran Ashwin also batted well and was unbeaten on 54.
Off-spinner Dane Piedt was the most successful among the Proteas bowlers with figures of 4/117. Pacer Kyle Abbott (3/39) also bowled well. (IANS)
Lunch: Rahane's ton takes India to 326/8
New Delhi: Ajinkya Rahane struck his fifth Test hundred to guide India to a commendable 326/8 at lunch on the second day of the fourth and final cricket match against South Africa here today.
Rahane scored 127 off 215 balls, achieving the distinction of being the first player from either side to have reached a three-figure mark in this low-scoring series so far.
The stylish right-hander's knock was studded with 11 fours and five sixes. He added 98 runs off 193 balls for the eighth wicket with Ravichandran Ashwin (53 batting), who completed his sixth half-century in the longest format.
Incidentally, this was also the highest stand for any wicket among either teams in the series. Rahane-Ashwin duo surpassed the previous best of 86 between Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara.
Among the many firsts, it was Rahane's maiden hundred on home soil as he has not enjoyed a lot of success in the few Test matches that he has played in India. This was also the first time that one team passed a total of 300 runs with the previous highest being 215 in Nagpur.
This was also the first time that only one wicket fell in a single session which yielded 95 runs.
What made the knock even more special is the fact that this is the ground where he made an inauspicious Test debut failing (7 & 1) in both the innings.
Rahane's moment of glory came with a glorious straight drive off Kyle Abbott as the entire Indian dressing room stood up to applaud him. The 100 came off 180 balls which included 10 well-timed boundaries and two sixes.
The count of maximums doubled once he reached his ton. He hit off-spinner Dean Elgar for successive sixes. The first was an angled delivery which Rahane danced down the track to hit wide of long on. The next also met with identical fate but it was over long-off.
The only blemish that happened was on 101 when Rahane tried playing a forward defensive stroke and the edge was dropped by wicketkeeper Dane Vilas much to the frustration of the left-arm spinner Dean Elgar.
Rahane's dismissal was a soft one when Imran Tahir bowled a fullish delivery which the batsman hit straight at AB de Villiers who was standing at covers.
It obviously helped that he found an able ally in Ashwin, who was prepared to stay at the wicket and grind it out. At the same time, Ashwin did not mind punishing the loose deliveries that came his way.
Ashwin struck some elegant boundaries -- six in all -- apart from the six he hit off Tahir that brought up his half-century. (PTI)
