New fast bowling discovery Lungi Ngidi plunged India into deep trouble as they struggled in pursuit of a victory target of 287 on the fourth day of the second Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Tuesday. India were 35 for three at the close, having lost both openers and the key wicket of captain Virat Kohli on a pitch with uneven bounce.
The hosts will head into the final day confident of picking up the seven wickets they need to wrap up an impressive victory in the three-match series, after a 72-run win in the first Test at Cape Town. The unpredictability of the wicket contributed to the dismissal of Murali Vijay, who was bowled off an inside edge by a ball from Kagiso Rabada which cut back at him and kept low.
Debutant Ngidi, who came on as first change, took a wicket with his first ball of the innings when Lokesh Rahul played a loose forcing shot off the back foot and was caught at backward point. That brought Kohli, who made 153 in the first innings, to the wicket.
Ngidi, 21, forced India's champion batsman to play defensively before he scored his first runs with an edge for four which flew wide of third slip. Kohli had scored five when he went back on his stumps to a ball which cut back sharply and struck him on the pad. Kohli sought a review of umpire Michael Gough's decision but replays showed the ball was crashing into the top of middle stump.
India had been reduced to 26 for three. Ngidi caused more damage when the left-handed Parthiv Patel was struck in the ribs and collapsed to the turf. Patel recovered and battled to five not out at the close. Ngidi, playing in only his tenth first-class match, took two for 14 in six overs.
Scoreboard
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South Africa first innings 335
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India first innings 307
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South Africa second innings (overnight 90-2)
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A. Markram lbw b Bumrah 1
D. Elgar c Rahul b Mohammed Shami 61
H. Amla lbw b Bumrah 1
A. de Villiers c Patel b Mohammed Shami 80
Q. de Kock c Patel b Mohammed Shami 12
F. du Plessis c and b Bumrah 48
V. Philander c Vijay b I. Sharma 26
K. Maharaj c Patel b I. Sharma 6
K. Rabada c Kohli b Mohammed Shami 4
M. Morkel not out 10
L. Ngidi c Vijay b Ashwin 1
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Extras: (b2, lb5, w1) 8
Total: (91.3 overs) 258
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Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Markram), 2-3 (Amla), 3-144 (De Villiers), 4-151 (Elgar), 5-163 (De Kock), 6-209 (Philander), 7-215 (Maharaj), 8-245 (Rabada), 9-245 (Du Plessis)
Bowling: Ashwin 29.3-6-78-1, Bumrah 20-3-70-3 (1w), I. Sharma 17-3-40-2, Mohammed Shami 16-3-49-4, Pandya 9-1-14-0
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India second innings
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M. Vijay b Rabada 9
L. Rahul c Maharaj b Ngidi 4
C. Pujara not out 11
V. Kohli lbw b Ngidi 5
P. Patel not out 5
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Extras: (b1) 1
Total: (3 wkts, 23 overs) 35
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