South Africa vs India 2018: Rahane and Bhuvneshwar's tenacious batting is SK Play of the Day
When he came out to bat in the first innings of the third Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, Ajinkya Rahane had found himself under immense pressure to justify all the hullabaloo regarding his inexplicable omission during the previous couple of matches. And the hesitancy showed as he looked all at sea in his brief stay at the crease on the opening day of the Test.
However, when the chips were down and India needed his propensity to score tough runs in the second innings, Rahane showed his class by producing an invaluable knock on the third day of the riveting encounter at the Wanderers Stadium. On a treacherous pitch veering into 'dangerous' territory, he sent out a timely reminder of his proven ability by top-scoring in the innings.
Rahane was joined by another man with a point or two to prove. Having been left out from the playing eleven during the preceding match, Bhuvneshwar Kumar reiterated his all-round skills by contributing an extremely crucial hand with the bat.
While Rahane smashed a stroke-filled 48 from 68 deliveries, Bhuvneshwar batted solidly for 76 balls and chipped in with a neat 33. At a time when the match was in the balance, the duo combined together and added a vital 55-run seventh-wicket partnership to take the game away from South Africa.
Earlier in the day, a gritty effort from Murali Vijay had blunted the Proteas' pace battery by putting on a masterclass in leaving the ball on length. Skipper Virat Kohli vindicated his growing stocks by registering one of the best knocks of his Test career. His 79-ball 41 as well as the opener's 127-ball vigil set the platform for India's second-innings march.
Rahane and Bhuvneshwar bolster India's chances
By the time he arrived in the middle, Rahane might have seen enough of the surface's unplayable nature from the confines of the dressing room. Upon marking his guard at the start of the post-lunch session, he copped a strong blow on the thigh pad from a searing Morne Morkel delivery.
A short ball outside the off-stump from Vernon Philander helped Rahane find his rhythm. Recapturing his Test form after quite a while, he made his intentions very clear. A lofted cover drive off Morkel gave an indication into his frame of mind. He was not going to muck around and let the vagaries of the surface dictate terms.
Meanwhile, at the other end, Rabada finally breached Kohli's defence with a terrific delivery. But Rahane eased India's nerves by unfurling a couple of gorgeous drives on either side of the wicket.
When Hardik Pandya was sent back by a stunning return catch from Rabada, the visitors were threatening to undo their own good work once again. With the lead at 141 runs and just four wickets left at their disposal, India had begun to allow South Africa to find a way back into the contest.
What followed was a pivotal partnership capable of influencing the result to a significant extent. The hosts wilted at the face of pressure as a couple of easy catches were squandered. Both Rahane and Bhuvneshwar were dropped in quick succession. The momentum flow was now firmly with the Indians.
Bhuvneshwar soon gave a befitting proof of his admirable batting prowess. An on-the-up drive off a fired-up Rabada enabled him to get into the groove. An unfortunate strangle down the leg side ended Rahane's dazzling knock. The duo's 55-run stand on such a vicious track would have been worth at least double on a normal pitch.
In the company of an enterprising Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar continued to frustrate the South African bowlers. Sensing the free-flowing nature of his batting partners, the all-rounder remained content with playing second fiddle to both batsmen. He eventually perished to a rising bouncer from Morkel.
India's dogged batting performance on a brutal track was a welcome change from their previous travails on the tour. If their bowlers go on to defend a formidable 241-run target in the fourth innings, they might just wonder how the series could have panned out had Rahane and Bhuvneshwar played all three Tests.