"I'd say anything under 200 would be a good total to chase" - Keegan Petersen
Keegan Petersen has said South Africa would look to bowl out India as quickly as possible on Day 3 of the second Test in Johannesburg. India lead by 58 runs with eight second-innings wickets in hand.
Earlier in the day, South Africa took a slender 27-run lead after getting bowled out for 229, thanks to Shardul Thakur's 7-61. Petersen top-scored with 62, while Temba Bavuma scored 51.
South Africa took out both Indian openers relatively cheaply. However, the experienced duo of Cheteshwar Pujara (35*) and Ajinkya Rahane (11*) took the visitors to 85-2 by stumps.
In two days of play at the Wanderers, 22 wickets have fallen. Petersen expects the surface to get more tough to bat on as the game progresses. The 28-year-old thinks a total of under 200 would give South Africa a realistic shot at levelling the series.
š BIG UPS KP!
Keegan Petersen has worked his way to a maiden Test half-century. It's taken him 103 balls to get there.
Kick on young man!
#SAvIND #FreedomTestSeries #BetwayTestSeries #BePartOfIt https://t.co/aksmYXOJef
Speaking at a virtual press conference at the end of Day 2, Petersen said:
"I think it's going to be tough for the rest of the Test match, and the pitch is definitely not getting better. We haven't put a number to it yet, but the more (runs) they get, the more difficult (it) is going to be for us to get."
"It's a difficult bowling attack to come up against. So realistically, I'd say anything under 200 would be a good total to chase. But the more they get, the further away it gets for us."
South Africa fell 113 runs short in the first Test while chasing a target of 305 set by India. The Wanderers pitch tends to be soft at first and hardens under the sun as the game progresses. Exposure to sunlight widens the cracks, bringing bowlers into the game.
I wish I could have done more to get the team into a better position: Keegan Petersen
Keegan Petersen led the scoring effort for South Africa in the first innings with a well-compiled 62.
It was the right-hand batter's maiden Test fifty, and he looked solid during his stint at the crease. His hard work, though, got undone when he played a loose stroke off Shardul Thakur on the cusp of the lunch break.
While admitting he performed well on a challenging surface against a quality bowling line-up, Petersen felt he should have hung around for longer. He said:
"It was good bowling this morning from a top quality attack that kept you on your toes all the time. I'm happy, although I wish I could have done more to get the team into a better position."
"It's a wicket where you are never really in, so when you do get that half century, you get some kind of sense of you're OK now, and then you get out. I think that's where we can be faulted, and it's the one department we can improve on. But, nevertheless, I think it was a decent effort, given the conditions."
STUMPS on Day 2 of the 2nd Test.
#TeamIndia 202 & 85/2, lead South Africa (229) by 58 runs.
Scorecard - bcci.tv/events/48/indiā¦ #SAvIND https://t.co/OwcK1xZ7YW
The hosts will look to prevent India from running away with the game on the third day. It remains to be seen which team gains the ascendancy as the game progresses. Considering the nature of the surface, where run-scoring hasn't been easy, the second Test at the Wanderers is unlikely to go the distance.