India rode Ajinkya Rahane’s cultured century to post a series-high 334 before returning to skittle South Africa for 121 to take full control of the fourth and final Test yesterday.
Rahane (127) crafted the first century in the low-scoring series over five painstaking hours and also featured in a 98-run eighth-wicket stand, the highest in the series, with Ravichandran Ashwin (56).
Spinner Ravindra Jadeja (5-30) then orchestrated South Africa’s rout in glorious sunshine at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium as the hosts thoroughly dominated the second day’s play, but did not enforce the follow-on.
Photo: AFP
India paceman Umesh Yadav dismissed Dean Elgar (17) to draw first blood, but it was Jadeja’s triple strike soon after the tea break that completely unhinged the visitors.
Temba Bavuma (20) dragged a Jadeja delivery onto his stumps, Hashim Amla (3) fell after a 34-ball ordeal and Faf du Plessis recorded his third duck of the series after playing a scoop shot.
The India pace bowlers, content playing the second fiddle to their spin colleagues in the series, drove home the advantage with Yadav uprooting J.P. Duminy’s off-stump and Ishant Sharma castling Dane Vilas.
With wickets tumbling at the other end, A.B. de Villiers waged a lone battle before holing out for 42.
Earlier, India resumed day 2 on 231-7 and Rahane, on 89 overnight, stitched a third 50-plus partnership in the match with Ashwin before bringing up his fifth Test century with an immaculate straight drive past fast bowler Kyle Abbott.
An industrious batsman in a lineup teeming with flamboyant strokeplayers, the 27-year-old raised his arms and looked skyward in a mixed sense of relief and elation, having failed to go past 15 previously in the series.
Celebration followed with Rahane launching off-spinner Dane Piedt over mid-wicket and long-on for two sixes in three deliveries.
The No. 5 fell to a soft dismissal, driving Tahir to De Villiers at cover to depart after crafting a stellar knock over five hours with the help of four sixes and 11 fours.
Ashwin, who is the leading wicket-taker in the series so far, hit Tahir for a six to bring up his sixth Test half-century.
Abbott dismissed Ashwin and Ishant Sharma in three deliveries to finish with 5-40, but the visitors could not stop India from posting the first 300-plus score in the series.
TOUR MATCH
AFP, BRISBANE, Australia
The West Indies were on the verge of a humiliating loss to a modest Cricket Australia XI after a disastrous third day in their four-day tour match in Brisbane yesterday.
The Windies, needing a confidence-boosting showing ahead of next week’s opening Test against Australia in Hobart, were humbled by a second-string side.
The tourists were reduced to 125-7 off 43 overs in their second innings, still trailing the Cricket Australia XI by 76 runs with just three wickets left heading into today’s final day.
In their only outing before the three-Test series against world No. 2 Australia, the near full-strength Windies were facing an embarrassing innings defeat against a side featuring six first-class debutants and an average age of 21.
“It’s hard to say whether it will be a psychological blow for them [ahead of first Test],” Cricket Australia XI all-rounder James Bazley said. “I still think they can play strong cricket this series, but we have outplayed them, in my opinion.”
In an incident that summed up the Windies’ plight, captain Jason Holder was left reeling on his back after he copped a nasty blow to the groin from paceman Ryan Lees (3-37) late yesterday.
Holder (26 not out) finally managed to get back on his feet after treatment.
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