Stand-in captain Rahul makes 50 for struggling India

KL  Rahul, captaining India in the absence of Virat Kohli, made a patient  half-century as his team struggled on the first day of the second Test against  South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium yesterday. 

  India were 146 for five at tea after Rahul won the toss and decided to bat  on a pitch which offered the bowlers high bounce and some sideways  movement. 

  Kohli was a late withdrawal because of what Rahul said was an upper back  spasm. 

  Rahul, who hit a century and was man of the match in India’s win in the  first Test in Centurion, saw four of his teammates perish before he was  fifth man out, top-edging a pull shot against left-arm fast bowler Marco  Jansen to be caught by a diving Kagiso Rabada at long leg. He made 50 off 133 balls with nine fours. 

  Rahul and Mayank Agarwal gave India a solid start, scoring 36 runs in the first hour before Agarwal was caught behind off Jansen immediately after  the mid-morning drinks break. 

  Jansen had figures of two for 18 off 12 overs, while Duanne Olivier, who  dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane off successive balls, had  two for 47. 

  The series is being played without spectators, apart from media and some  private suite-holders, because of coronavirus protocols. 

-AFP

Brief scores at tea:
India 146-5 (51 overs)
 (K Rahul 50, D Olivier 2-47, M Jansen 2-18)