South Africa vs India 2018: 2nd Test, Day 4, 5 things we learnt from the day
A sizzling spell from Lungi Ngidi had India on all fours by end of a terrific day's play at Centurion in the second Test. Chasing 287 for victory, India lost Murali Vijay and Lokesh Rahul early, with the latter falling to a forgettable shot off Ngidi. The debutant seamer then prized out the big scalp of Virat Kohli to send India reeling.
Earlier, Mohammad Shami ripped through the middle-order after AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar put on a century partnership and gave India a sniff at stealing a win. But a gritty Faf du Plessis and a determined Vernon Philander defied India's bowlers and helped them set 287, a score that hasn't yet been chased down at this venue.
#5 AB de Villiers is a Superman
AB de Villiers seemed to be batting on a different planet as compared to Dean Elgar. The left-handed opener, known for his resilience and resolve more than shot-making abilities, had an ugly outing despite making a half-century, while de Villiers oblivious to Elgar's hardships, played as easy as you like it. He had immense time against both spinners and pace bowlers and milked them for boundaries, if not rotating the strike, a tactic that had Kohli pondering deep and hard.
Eventually, he turned to Mohammad Shami and de Villiers dispatched him for four through the third man with a neat glide. However, the next time he attempted that shot against Shami, the ball found extra bounce and an edge was found on its way to Parthiv Patel. But his spectacular knock had put South Africa in the driving seat.