1st Test, Day 1: India vs South Africa - As it happened...

Live updates of India vs South Africa, 1st Test, Day 1

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Zee Media Bureau SCORECARD» | COMMENTARY» | REPORT» ALSO SEE: * Post-Tendulkar era begins, Virat Kohli shines» * Another overseas demise as India fail to acclimatize * Will legacy of ‘fab four’ be carried out by GenX? ==================================================================================== If you are a Sachin Tendulkar fan, and you are missing his presence in South Africa, you can have a look at A detailed slideshow about Sachin’s 100 centuries» ALSO SEE: Sachin Tendulkar’s Test tons against South Africa» ==================================================================================== INDIA, 1st innings: Over 90|| Score 255/5 STUMPS! Morne Morkel bowled the last over of the day and Dhoni and Rahane defended it to make it a happy day for the Indian fans. It has been an excellent fight back from the Indian team after they lost two quick wickets. The Kohli-Pujara partnership was extremely crucial from India’s perspective, and after Pujara was run-out, Kohli continued to play with a positive mindset and scored his fifth Test ton. It was a flawless innings from Kohli, and he would be hugely disappointed after being dismissed off a normal delivery which he played straight to covers. Ajinkya Rahane 43* (105b), MS Dhoni 17* (46b) ==================================================================================== Over 85 || Score 251/5 MS Dhoni and Rahane have continued rebuilding the innings. They have added 24 runs in the last five overs and, and they have defended with confidence and have played a shot or two convincingly towards for boundaries. ==================================================================================== Over 80 || Score 227/7 MS Dhoni is playing with a positive mindset and isn’t hesitating in playing his strokes against anything which is loose on either side of the wicket. He played a powerful cut shot off Morne Morkel to make his intentions clear. This will be a crucial partnership for India, as at one end Dhoni would continue to play his strokes and Rahane will keep wickets at the other end. ==================================================================================== Over 75 || Score 219/4 Virat Kohli was dismissed by Jacques Kallis, a soft dismissal where he worked the ball straight to Duminy at covers. Kallis has got his side the much-needed breakthrough and has also broke the 68-run partnership for the fifth wicket. MS Dhoni is the new man in and it would be interesting to see what would be his approach. Rahane, on the other end is playing a watchful innings. India scored 33 runs in the last ten overs and lost the wicket of Virat Kohli. V Kohli c Duminy b Kallis 119 (181b) ==================================================================================== Over 65 || Score 186/4 Virat Kohli slammed his fifth Test ton, first against South Africa as he worked a JP Duminy delivery towards deep midwicket for a couple. After having a poor ODI series, this is an incredible knock from Virat and he has once again proved what a tremendous cricketer he is! His innings could probably provide the lift India needed in the Test match series. 13 runs have been added in the last five overs and these two have now added 35 runs for the fourth wicket partnership. ==================================================================================== Over 60 || Score 173/4 The runs have dried up to an extent but Kohli and Rahane have made sure they don’t lose any more wickets for the time being. The seamers are bowling with an accurate line and length, even though they aren’t getting enough swing at the moment. ==================================================================================== Over 55 || Score 164/4 TEA: India lost another wicket, this time of Rohit Sharma, who edged one to AB de Villiers off Philander. It was a nothing delivery and was pitched outside the off-stump with width on offer and Sharma managed just an edge off it. Kohli is still batting on 84 and Rahane is the new man in who has scored three boundaries during his 12-ball stay at the crease so far. Smith once again went to Tahir to bowl the final over before tea and the leg-spinner conceded nine runs in his sixth over. Tahir has conceded 37 runs in his six overs and Smith would probably be thinking whether he should have opted for an all pace attack. Virat Kohli 84* (113b), Ajinkya Rahane 12* (9b) RG Sharma c de Villiers b Philander 14 (42b) ==================================================================================== Over 50 || Score 143/3 After Pujara’s dismissal, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have continued the good work. There was a caught behind appeal against Kohli off Kallis, when the right-hander seemed to have edged one to AB de Villiers. The replay suggested that the sound came as the ball clipped his thigh. India have scored 24 runs in the last five overs. ==================================================================================== Over 45 || Score 119/3 South Africa got their third breakthrough when Pujara was unfortunately run-out. In the 43rd over of the innings, Kohli worked the fourth ball towards midwicket and called for a single, but by the time he changed his mind and went back, Pujara was half way down to the pitch and wasn’t in the frame when Hashim Amla dislodged the bails at the non-striker’s end. The dismissal also ended a pivotal 89-run partnership for the third wicket. CA Pujara run out 25 (98b) ==================================================================================== Over 40 || Score 101/2 Virat Kohli slapped a short ball from Imran Tahir for a boundary to reach his half-century off just 76 balls. It has been a magnificent knock from the right-hander, who has looked to pull anything that is short, as the Proteas batsmen have failed to intimidate him with their pace or bounce so far. He is doing most of the scoring at the moment, and Smith obviously would be slightly worried at the moment. India have also reached their 100. These two have added unbeaten 77 runs for the third-wicket partnership so far. Virat Kohli 55* (82b), Cheteshwar Pujara 23* (89b) ==================================================================================== Over 35 || Score 86/2 After lunch, Kohli has grown in confidence and he has already played some fantastic strokes. The third-wicket partnership has now been extended to 62 runs. Kohli is getting into his groove, something which could be a matter of concern for Graeme Smith. Pujara, on the other end is playing a supporting role extremely well. ==================================================================================== Over 27 || Score 70/2 LUNCH: India would be happy after losing just two wickets in the first sessions considering the kind of assistance seamers were getting from the wicket. Kohli and Pujara have done a decent job so far and have added unbeaten 46 runs for the third-wicket partnership. Graeme Smith introduced Imran Tahir in the final over before lunch, and Virat Kohli welcomed the spinner with a boundary off the first ball and ended it with another boundary. That last over before lunch produced ten runs for the Indian team, and it also suggested that someone like Virat Kohli would target the only spinner. Cheteshwar Pujara 18* (61b) Virat Kohli 32* (32b) ==================================================================================== Over 20 || Score 32/2 After the departure of the openers, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara have been very watchful. Every now and then, one of the Proteas bowler is producing a ball that could get them a wicket on any other day. Despite their careful approach, Kohli and Pujara have been lucky so far. ==================================================================================== Over 16 || Score 24/2 Morne Morkel and Jacques Kallis have been introduced into the attack in the 12th and 13th over. Morkel is generating a good bounce from the wicket by hitting the deck hard. He has started troubling the Indian batsman from his pace and bounce. Finally, Morkel got the reward. M Vijay Out. Vijay tried to play a shot off Morkel, without moving his feet and only managed to get the outside edge and wicketkeeper took a simple catch behind the wickets. Another poor shot selection. M Vijay c de Villiers b Morkel 6 (42b) ==================================================================================== Over 10 || Score 20/1 Dhawan scored his first boundary in the sixth over bowled by Philander, by a flick over square-leg. Dhawan OUT. Steyn is the man once again for South Africa, who provided the first breakthrough. Dhawan hasn't learn from his past mistakes and tried another pull shot off Steyn, miss-timed it completely and gave a high-catch to Imran Tahir at deep fine-leg. Ambitious shot by the Indian opener and he paid the price for it. Indian batsmen need to show some patience in the middle. After the fall of first Indian wicket, Cheteshwar Pujara walked in to join M Vijay in the middle. S Dhawan c Imran Tahir b Steyn 13 (37m 27b) ==================================================================================== Over 5 || Score 8/0 M Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan have once again come up to open the Indian innings, whereas Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander started the bowling proceedings for the hosts. Steyn was right on the money from the very first ball. On the fifth ball of the over, Vijay smashed Steyn down the ground to collect the first boundary of the innings. In the next four overs, India scored one run each in every over. Both the Indian openers are playing cautiously. ==================================================================================== Indian openers should spend some time at the crease before playing their shots. After winning the toss Dhoni said ‘ the wicket look good.’ Zaheer Khan, who is making a comeback in the Test side after almost a year, will also be an important cog for Dhoni in the two-match Test series. MS Dhoni has won the toss and elected to bat first. ==================================================================================== Johannesburg: The thrashing in ODIs behind them, India will be aiming to start the post-Sachin Tendulkar era in Test cricket on a positive note but the task looks daunting as they would be up against the world`s number one side South Africa in the two-match series starting here from today. At the Wanderers stadium, after losing the three-ODI series 2-0, the visitors will be looking to make their first mark on the tour, in what will be a new era in the annals of Indian cricket. For this is the first Test match for Team India following the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar. The Master Blaster bid farewell after playing his 200th Test versus West Indies in Mumbai, in what was an emotional roller-coaster for the entire nation`s cricket fans. Teams: South Africa: Graeme Smith (C), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers?, Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir. India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C & WC), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, Mohammed Shami.