2021 started with India conquering Gabba and ended with a first time test victory at the Centurion. If you are an Indian cricket fan, you know there cannot be a much better time to watch cricket. What Virat Kohli and his team are doing in the longest format of the game is quite outstanding. They have conquered Gabba, Lords, Centurion, Oval in the same year winning test series against New Zealand, Australia, England and are now banging on South African shores to make further inroads there. And boy they have announced themselves in some style with a win in the first test at Centurion. A ground where India had never won a test game and South Africa hadn’t lost any. But hey, breaking such legendary records is the regular bread and butter of this Indian team. So much so, that after registering such a huge win, there were no outrageous celebrations from the Indian players as they have become quite used to achieving the impossible – wherever they go & whomever they play against.
The tour started on the back of some controversies when just days before leaving, it was announced that Virat Kohli will no longer be India’s captain in the ODIs and the whole controversy behind it. However, when team India took the field, they had just one goal – Conquer Centurion.
KL Rahul took this way too seriously and notched up yet another brilliant Century at Centurion and gave India the best start that they could have wished for. Him and Mayank Agarwal set up the whole match & perhaps the series in India’s momentum with a brilliant opening 100 run partnership and South Africa could not just cope up from thereon.
Batting first India posted a score of 327 where KL Rahul scored yet another fine test century and gave India a very healthy first innings score. South Africa started things off a little shaken but managed a score of 197 in their first innings giving India a very huge and advantageous lead. India were looking to enforce some speed and momentum in their second innings to negate the time wasted due to consistent rain. South Africa have to chase an impossible 305 runs in the 4th innings. South Africa have begun fairly well and at the end of Day 4, they are at 94-4 needing 211 runs with only 6 wickets in hand.
So that sets up things fairly nicely as we head into this game. So far Rain also has had a say as to how this game shall progress. So far this is how the test has panned out.
Day1: 3 wickets, Day 2: washout, Day 3: 18 wickets, Day 4: 13 wickets.
