SA v IND, 1st Test: India reach 272/3 at stumps on Day 1
text_fields
SA vs IND, 1st Test, Day 1: KL Rahul bagged a century on Sunday
Centurion: Electing to bat, India reached 272 for 3 at stumps on the first day of day one of the Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park against South Africa on Sunday. KL Rahul was going strong on 122 and Ajinkya Rahane was giving him company on 40 at the close of play.
Opener Mayank Agarwal made 60 while Cheteshwar Pujara was out for a duck. Captain Virat Kohli contributed 35.
Earlier, South Africa improved on their performance in the wicketless first session but Rahul and Mayank Agarwal crossed a century stand for the opening wicket while reaching their respective half-centuries.
The second session began with Agarwal reaching his half-century with a creamy drive through long-off Marco Jansen. Jansen would come under further attack from Rahul, clipping through mid-wicket and outer edge flying through slip cordon as the Karnataka duo brought up the century of opening partnership, marking it the third hundred-plus opening stand for India in South Africa.
Rahul gained pace as he drove Wiaan Mulder twice through sweeper cover while Mayank tucked a short ball from Ngidi through fine leg. But on the next ball, Ngidi trapped Agarwal lbw with a delivery that came in from the back of a length and hit the pads after going past the inner edge. South Africa took the review and got to change the decision as ball-tracking showed hitting the top of leg-stump, ending I'dia's opening stand at 117.
One brought two for Ngidi as he bowled a fiery in-swinger which Cheteshwar Pujara inner-edged to his thigh and it lobbed to Keegan Petersen, running in from backward short leg. It was also the second time Pujara bagged a golden duck in his Test career. Coincidentally, both came at Centurion and had Ngidi involved (in 2018, he affected the run-out of Pujara).
Earlier, Rahul and Mayank Agarwal justified captain Kohli's decision to bat first with a careful yet solid opening stand as India reached 83/0 in 28 overs at lunch.
