Team India went on to thrash South Africa by an innings and 137 runs in the second Test match held in Pune. With this, the Indian cricket team took a 2-0 lead in the three-match Test series.
This was India’s 11th successive Test series win at home as they continue to conquer new heights.
The all-round show by India saw Virat Kohli’s men do all the basics right to gain a significant advantage over a shallow Proteas side. India managed to post a massive 601/5 (declared) in the first innings.
The home team rode on skipper Kohli’s majestic record-breaking 254* and a gritty century by Mayank Agarwal.
South Africa, who got off to a horror start, were reeling under pressure. However, Far du Plessis and Co. managed 275 after Keshav Maharaj (72) and Vernon Philander (44*) showed great composure for the ninth wicket. India asked South Africa to bat again after enforcing a follow-on.
The Proteas then faltered in the second innings to be dismissed for 189. The result saw Kohli notching his 30th Test win as captain in 50 matches in the longest format. Notably, India also won their second successive Test series in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship.
There were 40 points for the taking in this Test and the victory saw Team India race to 200 points in total to lead the proceedings in the World Test Championship table.
Meanwhile, South Africa are yet to open their account and are stranded on zero points. It could be a long haul for them as their Test journey is concerned.
India will go into the third Test with the view of winning the series 3-0. However, here are the Top 4 Highlights India vs South Africa 2nd Test Match Analysis.
Top 4 Highlights of India vs South Africa 2nd Test Match Analysis
Vintage Kohli shows why he is a real deal in Test cricket
India vs South Africa 2nd Test Match Analysis saw Kohli doing all the right things. He made batting look so simple and easy. He walked in to set the tempo. There was that understanding of what he needed to do in order to thwart the opposition.
The Indian Skipper looked composed against the pace attack and dictated the spinners at ease. What stood out for Kohli was his brilliance in running between the wickets. He converted the twos into threes and even when he went past 200, he ran like a champion. This shows the energy and desire he has.
Another thing that made Kohli stand out was his ability to forge two brilliant stands. Kohli and half-centurion Ajinkya Rahane shared a glossy 178-run stand for the fourth wicket.
This was their sixth 150-plus partnership in Test cricket. And then he shared another 225 runs for the fifth wicket alongside Ravindra Jadeja (91). When you get these big knocks, partnerships and temperament are needed. Kohli showed both.
Umesh Yadav has an excellent return
Team India’s pace-bowling quartet is one of the best in the world and the depth is massive. India vs South Africa 2nd Test Match Analysis report saw the bowling department tick all the boxes.
This was given more identity by Umesh Yadav. The right-arm fast bowler, who had earlier replaced the injured Jasprit Bumrah for this Test series, made the most out of this chance on an interesting pitch in Pune that had something for the pacers.
Umesh Yadav’s excellent start in the first innings set the tone for the rest of the match. Umesh claimed six scalps across two innings and showed how crucial it is to stand out when there is healthy competition on.
Umesh, who has 125 career Test scalps, has been India’s best in business when it comes to Tests at home for a while. In 25 home Tests, Umesh has 79 Test scalps at 26.59.
Umesh has shown that the Indian team can count upon him when required. He has worked hard and kept in sync with his bowling.
India needs to bowl better against the tail
One thing that has been a long-standing tail for the Indian cricket team is its inability to finish off the opposition’s tail easily. India vs South Africa 2nd Test Match Analysis Stats suggest that India has bowled the maximum overs against the lower order for a while in Test cricket.
Now since this Test series is being held at home where the hosts dominate the proceedings, the side got away with things. But when you move outside the sub-continent, Tests that go extremely close like we had during the Ashes 2019, could see Kohli’s men struggle. Because there those extra runs make a lot of difference in the end.
Here in this Test, Maharaj and Philander amassed 109 runs for the ninth wicket and went on to consume 259 deliveries. That took the steam out of the Indian attack. And once again in the second innings, the two got together to stitch 56-run stand for the eighth wicket. They consumed a total of 128 balls to show immense character.
South Africa cannot afford to bat the way they did
When you look at the difference between the two teams, SA was well behind in terms of batting. A lot has to do with the shot-making that we witnessed in Pune. It was a nightmare seeing some atrocious shots played by seasoned players like Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock (second innings).
Not just that, the rest of the batting line-up also struggled with proper shot-making in Tests. When you look at the Proteas innings, on both occasions the lower order outwits the batsmen.
The likes of Philander and Maharaj led the way just like Dean Peidt and Senuran Muthuswamy did in the previous Test. Skipper Faf du Plessis will be angry on the batsmen for not keeping up to the mark.