India openers KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal had a comfortable morning on Boxing Day, keeping the scoreboard moving at good pace against South Africa’s inexperienced bowling attack at the Centurion on Sunday.
India took Lunch at 83/0 after 28 overs. KL Rahul was unbeaten on 29 and Mayank on 46, having hit 7 of the 11 boundaries in the morning session which belonged to the visitors.
Mayank Agarwal interestingly made his Test debut during a Boxing Day Test in Australia in 2018.
India won the toss and Virat Kohli opted to bat first on a slightly overcast morning with Ajinkya Rahane holding down his berth in the playing XI, as both Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari warmed the bench. Shardul Thakur took up the all-rounder’s spot with Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami accompanying Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin in the bowling department.
Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi were South Africa’s most experienced bowlers, and neither managed to produce the kind of spell Dean Elgar and the team were looking for. For India, Rahul and Mayank were watchful and happy to leave as many as needed early on, also pouncing on some loose deliveries and picking off the boundaries.
Rabada and South Africa used up a review in the fifth over when a short one seemed to have clipped the glove of Rahul, but the DRS ruled otherwise.
Mayank was the more aggressive batter in the morning session, finding the boundary on a fair few occasions and welcoming Marco Jansen to the Test arena with three fours in his first over. Jansen also induced the edge from Mayank but neither Quinton de Kock or Elgar could pocket it.
The openers continued to make merry as the Proteas bowling failed to get their line and length in order in the morning session. While the batters defended resolutely when needed, they also pulled out some stylish shots through covers and the whip through the leg side, much to the delight of the Indian dressing room.
The openers raced away to a fifty stand in good time with Agarwal closing in on a half century when the players took Lunch. South Africa bowled only one over of spin in the morning session. The visitors finished the session firmly in control under slightly cloudy conditions, as South Africa’s think tank looked worried after the first couple of overs.
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