"Time for some fresh blood?" - Twitter fumes as India's middle order fails again in 2nd innings in Centurion
India's middle-order once again flattered to deceive in the second innings of the first Test against South Africa in Centurion today, with the team reduced to 111/6 at one point.
Virat Kohli (18), Cheteshwar Pujara (16) and Ajinkya Rahane (20) couldn't capitalize after getting set in. This has resulted in worries about India's middle order that at one time used to be the rock of their batting.
India had lost Mayank Agarwal yesterday after taking a 130-run first-innings lead. Today, South Africa started well, with Kagiso Rabada prising the scalp of nightwatchman Shardul Thakur. KL Rahul, India's centurion in the first innings, was the next to fall, edging a delivery from Lungi Ngidi to Dean Elgar in the slips.
Virat Kohli nicked one behind going after a wide delivery yet again, this time losing his wicket to Marco Jansen. Pujara and Rahane then fell in quick succession to Rabada and Jansen respectively, to leave India reeling.
However, India's intent of getting quick runs was clear and Ravichandran Ashwin and Rishabh Pant put on a 35-run stand before Rabada got rid of the former with a terrific bouncer.
Rishabh Pant continued to attack the bowlers before departing for a run-a-ball 34. Rabada picked up his fourth wicket when he got Mohammed Shami to edge one to the slips. Jansen also picked up his fourth, bowling Mohammed Siraj for a duck to wrap the innings up.
India were bowled out for 174 in the second innings, setting South Africa a target of 305 runs to win the series opener.
Twitter reacts to Indian middle order's dismal show
Questions had been raised about India's middle-order coming into the series, with Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara's form not inspiring a lot of confidence. The fact that Virat Kohli's last century came in 2019 has not helped their cause either.
Rahane and Kohli made decent contributions in the first innings but the entire middle order disappointed in India's second essay.
Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter:
Me: Hoping India's middle order comes good
Le a Pujara, Kohli, Rahane:
#SAvIND https://t.co/1jmwoNOAKy
Wait continues💔
#ViratKohli https://t.co/Mbja3GN8rZ
Have no words for Pujara's dismissal.. https://t.co/hEEOpqDUKi
Never thought i will be praying for @ashwinravi99 to score runs instead of @cheteshwar1 and @ajinkyarahane88 and @imVkohli is it time for some fresh blood in the team @BCCI ? #INDvsSA
Lmao the competition between Rahane and Pujara to prove who is in worse form is hilarious 😭😭
Kohli is undroppable. Such is his stature. No defending his lean patch. But need to do something different. Rahane has looked good till he's gotten out in both innings. Pujara is a rock. 1 excellent innings in Eng. But how long would you just hope they click? Wheres th threshold?
Virat Kohli ends 2021 without a century. Second year in a row that he didn't register a century. A world class batsman going through a rough patch.
India will be hoping for their three big middle-order players to find some form soon as they look to win their first Test series in South Africa, with games in Johannesburg and Cape Town to follow.