Following a disastrous batting collapse, an inspired Imran Tahir spell has given the Proteas an outside chance of winning the third Test against India in Nagpur.
Hashim Amla’s team slumped to 79 all out on Thursday on what was a dramatic day of Test cricket as the Indian attack spun a tight web around the South African batsmen on a notoriously crumbling Nagpur pitch.
It was the lowest total by the Proteas in Test cricket since readmission, with their previous lowest also coming against India, at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in 2006.
The South Africans had no answer to Indian spin twins Ravichandran Ashwin (5/32) and Ravindra Jadeja (4/33), who took nine out of the 10 wickets to fall between them.
In total, 20 wickets fell for 273 runs on day two, with 17 going to spinners – Morné Morkel grabbed the other three.
The ball “exploded” quite a few times off the playing surface from the spin bowlers as there was sharp turn and steep bounce on offer on the dusty pitch.
However, some of the batsmen played ill-judged shots and gave their wickets away. Beginning the day on 11/2, with Dean Elgar and captain Amla at the crease, the rot started just five balls into the first over when Elgar (7) chopped a short Ashwin delivery on to his stumps.
Worse was to follow as big guns Amla and De Villiers were both dismissed with the score on 12. The skipper played a wild sweep shot and only succeeded in getting a glove to Ashwin, and the ball looped up into the grateful hands of Ajinkya Rahane.
World No 1 batsman De Villiers then strangely tried to play against the spin to work the ball to the legside off Jadeja, and offered a return catch off a leading edge.
That saw the Proteas in dire straits at 12/5, with the last two specialist batsmen at the crease in Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy.
The left-handed Duminy played with great purpose and energy in compiling an impressive 35 (65 balls, 1x4, 2x6). He made good use of his feet in coming down the pitch to the spinners, and he played some excellent strokes.
But Du Plessis lost his cool and played a rash shot in going for a booming off drive off Jadeja, and he was bowled through the gate for 10.
Simon Harmer chipped in with 13 down the order, but there wasn’t much support for Duminy, who eventually perished LBW to Amit Mishra.
The Proteas were staring down the barrel of a massive winning target as India enjoyed a 136-run lead, and things were looking ominous as the home side moved swiftly to 97/2.
But Amla finally introduced Tahir after first utilising Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Harmer and Duminy, and the eccentric leg-spinner rewarded his captain’s faith with one of the best spells of his Test career.
Tahir bowled with confidence and skill in taking 5/38 – his second Test five-wicket haul – in 11.3 overs as he accounted for Shikhar Dhawan, captain Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddiman Saha and Amit Mishra as India collapsed to 173 all out.
That meant the Proteas, who could’ve expected to chase up to 400 for victory, now needed “only” 310 to level the series at 1-1 ahead of the final Test in Delhi.
The South Africans made a reasonable start to their run-chase considering their first-innings nightmare, but Stiaan van Zyl caved into the pressure after facing 29 balls for five runs when he went for a big cover drive off Ashwin, only to be caught by Rohit Sharma.
Proteas coach Russell Domingo sent out Tahir as a nightwatchman for the second time in the match, and the leg-spinner fared quite well, even hitting a boundary off his first ball.
But Tahir was a bit unfortunate to be adjudged LBW by Australian umpire Bruce Oxenford, with Mishra’s “slider” delivery looking like it was going to miss leg-stump.
Amla survived with Elgar to close the day on 32/2, with the Proteas requiring another 278 runs to win.
The odds will be heavily stacked in India’s favour on the sub-standard Nagpur pitch, but the time has come for the world-class Proteas middle-order of Amla, De Villiers, Duminy and Du Plessis to showcase their proven ability on day three on Friday.
The series is at stake, and they owe it to the likes of Morkel and Tahir.
@IndyCapeSport