SA Vs Ind, 2nd Test: Shardul Thakur's maiden five-wicket haul keeps the match in balance (Tea, Day-2)

Johannesburg [South Africa], January 4 (ANI): Shardul Thakur clinched his first ever five-wicket haul in Test matches as the hosts scored 191 for 7 at Tea on day-2 of the second Test match here at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
Resuming the post lunch session at 102 for 4 the Proteas desperately needed another partnership with the fall of three quick wickets in the previous session and Temba Bavuma alongwith Kyle Verreynne did exactly that.
The duo of Bavuma and Verreynne scored runs at a decent pace to take South Africa's total beyond 150-run mark and also struck a half-century partnership. Bavuma was more aggressive of the two batters.
Shardul Thakur once again came and broke the partnership dismissing Kyle Verreynne leg before wicket for 21. This was his fourth wicket of the innings ending the 60-run partnership.
Temba Bavuma did not mellow down after the fall of Verreynne's wicket and kept on punishing the bad deliveries coming his way. Bavuma in one over went on to hit a boundary and a six to Ravichandran Ashwin.
Bavuma notched up his half-century and was looking dangerous but Thakur once again gave India the breakthrough. Bavuma tried to play a pull shot of a back of a length delivery of Shardul Thakur inside edging the ball to wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant. Pant took a brilliant catch and it was his third catch of the match while Shardul Thakur clinched his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
In the next over Mohammed Shami got wicket of Kagiso Rabada caught in mid on by Mohammed Siraj for a duck. Keshav Maharaj and Marco Jansen ensured that the hosts did not lose any more wickets before tea as South Africa scored 191 for 7 till Tea.
Earlier in the day South Africa started at 35 for 1 with captain Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen starting steadily to take team's total beyond the 50-run mark. Petersen was more aggressive of the two as Elgar kept one end tight.
The duo of Elgar and Petersen reached half-century partnership for the second wicket as pacers Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj failed to take a wicket in the early hours. With pacers failing to take wicket captain KL Rahul introduced Ravichandran Ashwin and he too failed to give India the breakthrough.
Shardul Thakur was then introduced into the attack and he finally gave India the breakthrough as dismissing Captain Elgar for 28 caught behind by wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant. Keegan Petersen did not get too bothered by losing his partner as he notched up his half-century.
Petersen kept on capitalizing on the scoring opportunities taking his team's total to triple figure mark. Shami and Pant appealed for a caught behind for Rassie van der Dussen and the umpire gave him out but the decision was turned down by DRS.
Shardul gave India their second breakthrough of the day as he got the prized scalp of Keegan Petersen caught in the slips by Mayank Agarwal of a thick edge for 62. Thakur was not going to stop there as he dismissed van der Dussen for just 1 caught behind by keeper Pant.
Brief Scores: SA 191/7 (Keegan Petersen 62, Temba Bavuma 51, Keshav Maharaj 11; Shardul Thakur 5/43) vs India 202/10 (KL Rahul 50, Ravichandran Ashwin 46; Marco Jansen 4/31) (ANI)