The much-awaited test series has commenced earlier with high hopes when team India won the toss and decided to bat first. Visiting openers have put on an exquisite show of sheer class with his batting. The attack compressed of Lungi Nigidi, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Wiaan Mulder were complete average who hardly provided any disturbance to the batters.
With so many doubts and rifts going around, the question was still intact will team India be able to perform under circumstances. The right way to answer was to perform with bat and the openers did the same.
In the opening session, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal started slowly without giving any chances to the hosts. Pacers were ordinary with the bowling who never look trouble the batsman with pace or swing.
It was a surprise decision from the visiting captain to bat first on the fast track that offers swing and seam in the first hour. But batters have played with the right approach where Mayank Agarwal was moreover the bowlers to score freely.
KL Rahul played a valiant knock throughout the session and stayed unbeaten on 29* alongside Mayank Agarwal 46*. In the first session team, India had scored 83 runs without the loss of any wicket.
Both players have played more than 20 overs in the first session for 7th time in the ongoing year. A record no other pair has in the past decade.
The second session had brought something to cheer about for the hosts when paceman Lungi Nigidi strikes back on two balls. First Mayank Agarwal was caught in front of wickets as the review was overturned by hosts to send him back.
The very next ball sent back the Indian middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara on duck who completely missed the ball. Pujara’s second duck also comes at Centurion. Apart from these two wickets, hosts have struggled a lot in a day with some opportunities but failed to convert.
