Captain's brave knock takes hosts to first-ever win over India at Wanderers; series tied 1-1 with one game to go
The wait continues. It's been 30 years since India's first tour to this part of the world, but South Africa still remain unvanquished. It may still happen in Cape Town in a week's time, but for now there's a sense of happiness that the South African cricket rainbow is peeping through the clouds once again.
Everything was against the Proteas as they went into a 240-run chase in the fourth innings on a pitch that was playing plenty of tricks. The Indian attack led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami had everything going their way and the five-hour wait on Thursday due to rain only added to the pressure of the hosts, who haven't won anything significant of late.
But they have a leader in their ranks who believes in one motto: fight. Playing the first phase of his career under the shadow of Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, Elgar (96*) has never been the player who the opposition is scared of. But leading South Africa into this phase of transition, the left-hander played an innings that he will probably rate as his best ever.
On Wednesday, he took body blows against Bumrah and Shami, but showed the courage to get behind the line of the deliveries all the time. And on Thursday under overcast skies and with the ball moving around, he played as close to his body as possible and found a way to leave those deliveries around the off-stump.
While he stuck around, Elgar gave the belief to Rassie van der Dussen (40), who isn't the most technically proficient, that survival isn't impossible on this track. Van der Dussen might have lost count of the number of times he had been beaten outside the off-stump, but he didn't give his wicket away. The right-hander, in an 82-run third-wicket partnership, gave Proteas the belief that India can be beaten in a venue where they have never lost before.
It was the right-hander's back-to-back boundaries in the 50th over bowled by Shami followed by five wides that swung the momentum completely in South Africa's favour. There was a faint glimmer of hope for India when Shami finally dismissed Van der Dussen, but Shardul Thakur dropped No. 5 Temba Bavuma off his own bowling soon after that, which completely took the fight out of India.
With skies closing in and a good chance of rain on Friday, both Elgar and Bavuma decided that they had to put their feet on the accelerator. India's cause wasn't helped by the fact that paceman Siraj, struggling with a hamstring spasm he suffered on Day 1, couldn't be brought back till the 63rd over.
The Indian team also complained about the fact that the ball was getting wet due to the water in the outfield. It meant that Ashwin couldn't come into his own and the pacers, too, probably struggled to grip the ball properly. The effect of the heavy roller, too, played a part in the first hour.
Elgar and Van der Dussen looked to score at a fast clip and anything pitched up was driven with conviction. And when the Indian pacers struggled to make headway on Elgar's offstump, they drifted on middle and leg and the left-hander was prompt to put those away.
1/6:'Steely' Elgar hits unbeaten 96
<p>South Africa captain Dean Elgar hit a superb 96 not out to guide South Africa to an emphatic seven wicket win in the second Test against India at the Wanderers on Thursday which levels the three-match series at 1-1. (AP Photo)</p>
2/6:South Africa stay calm in a tense chase
<p>What had been expected to be a tense chase on the fourth day became a comfortable win for the home side after rain delayed the start of play by almost six hours. When play did get under way after tea it was under heavily overcast skies with the floodlights on. (AFP Photo)</p>
3/6:Dean-Rassie stitch fine partnership
<p>Resuming at 118 for two in pursuit of a target of 240, Elgar and Rassie van der Dussen added 57 runs in the first hour before Van der Dussen was caught behind off Mohammed Shami for 40. The pair had put on 82 for the third wicket. (AFP Photo)</p>
4/6:Bavuma ably supports Elgar
<p>Temba Bavuma gave a caught and bowled chance to Shardul Thakur before he had scored but then batted solidly to make 23 not out and stay with Elgar until the end. (AFP Photo)</p>
5/6:Elgar finishes it off in style!
<p>Skipper Elgar was not quite able to complete his century but hit the winning runs with a flick for four off Ravichandran Ashwin. The decider in the three-match series will start at Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday. (AFP Photo)</p>
6/6:SA post first win over India at Wanderers
<p>It was the first time South Africa had beaten India at the Wanderers and kept alive their hopes of denying the world's top-ranked team a first-ever series victory in South Africa. (AP Photo)</p>And finally when the winning runs came off Elgar's bat to make the series 1-1, there was probably a sense of happiness for all cricket fans. South African cricket, after all, is well and truly alive.
