India Player Ratings as Dean Elgar leads South Africa to series-leveling win in 2nd Test
A resilient fourth-innings effort from South Africa captain Dean Elgar overshadowed Shardul Thakur's stellar all-round showing as the hosts won the second Test against India by seven wickets to level the three-match series 1-1.
On a Wanderers wicket that was challenging throughout, the Proteas held on admirably against India's charge in the final innings of the match. Chasing 240, Elgar's men got over the line fairly comfortably to scalp some valuable World Test Championship points.
Here are India's player ratings from the second Test against South Africa.
Thakur shines as India fall short in 2nd Test vs South Africa
Mayank Agarwal: 5/10
Mayank played positive knocks in both innings as he attempted to make the most of the loose deliveries on offer. However, he was dismissed in the 20s on both occasions and didn't make the impact he would've liked.
KL Rahul: 6/10
Rahul's batting didn't seem to be affected by captaincy as he stroked a comfortable fifty in the first innings, taking India to a fighting total. He was dismissed cheaply in the second by Marco Jansen, though, and his captaincy was a touch passive at times.
Cheteshwar Pujara: 6/10
Pujara's attacking fifty in India's second innings was worth its weight in gold, but the No. 3 really has to contribute more regularly. He has probably done enough to keep his place in the side but time is not in his favor.
Ajinkya Rahane: 6/10
Like Pujara's, Rahane's second-innings fifty helped India out of a tricky phase and gave them a real shot at sealing the series. However, India's former Test vice-captain needs at least a few more notable knocks to silence his critics, with his first-ball duck in the first essay epitomizing the way his form has been over the last two years.
Hanuma Vihari: 7.5/10
Vihari was one of the more assured Indian batters in the middle. After making 20 in the first innings, he batted with the tail to notch up an unbeaten 40. He really doesn't deserve to be dropped for the third Test.
Rishabh Pant: 3/10
Pant would want to forget this Test in a hurry. He managed only 17 runs in the match, with his second-innings hoick across the line drawing the ire of fans and watchers around the world. The keeper's glovework was solid for the most part, barring a Keegan Petersen drop that proved slightly costly.
Shardul Thakur: 9/10
Thakur was the star of the show for India, as he has been so frequently across formats. The gutsy all-rounder scalped a whopping seven wickets in the first innings to restrict South Africa's lead before stroking a quickfire cameo. He even picked up a valuable wicket in the second innings too and ended up as India's best performer.
Ravichandran Ashwin: 7/10
Ashwin became the first Indian spinner to pick up a wicket in Johannesburg since Anil Kumble, but his consistency was slightly off in the second Test. His attacking 46 in the first innings salvaged India's pride.
Jasprit Bumrah: 4/10
Bumrah had a rare disappointing outing in the whites. He scalped only one wicket over the course of the match although he was one of India's most threatening bowlers, and even got into an on-pitch scuffle with Jansen. India's lead pacer couldn't replicate his heroics from 2018 when his team desperately needed him to.
Mohammed Shami: 5/10
Shami beat the bat throughout the Test match but even he ended up with only three wickets. On a wicket that had more bounce than lateral movement, the experienced pacer couldn't make a real impression.
Mohammed Siraj: 5/10
A hamstring injury meant Siraj was far from his best in the second Test. He went wicketless and leaked runs for the most part, and his patented aggression didn't rattle South Africa too much.