Kapil Dev, India’s greatest all-rounder and World Cup-winning captain in 1983, turned 59 on Saturday. Ever since he retired in 1994, India have gone through a handful of players who failed to scale such lofty heights. When Hardik Pandya was given a Test cap in Sri Lanka in 2017, largely on the basis of white-ball performances, it was a move that prompted both mirth and derision. But on a day when his illustrious batting colleagues failed and India faced abject humiliation, it was Pandya’s audacious 95-ball 93 that gave India a glimmer of hope midway through the Newlands Test.
After keeping the South Africa lead down to 77, Pandya came back and dismissed both Aiden Markram (34) and Dean Elgar (25) in the final passage of play. At stumps, the hosts led by 142, with some rain expected on Sunday to spice up a pitch that had become easier to bat on.
The scoreboard read 76 for five when Pandya strode out. Just before, Cheteshwar Pujara had staved off a fearsome four-man pace attack for 91 balls and 26 runs, having just played a loose stroke to be caught at second slip the first ball after lunch. Pujara and Rohit Sharma, a three-time double-centurion in ODIs who grafted 59 balls for 11, had seen off the threat of Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn, before Rohit was trapped leg-before by Kagiso Rabada — who was so quick that Graeme Smith, former South African captain, spoke of him “bowling rockets.”
Philander started the day with five straight maidens, and India made just 48 in the 25 overs bowled before lunch. Ravichandran Ashwin (12) and Wriddhiman Saha fell soon after Pujara, leaving India with one foot hovering over the trapdoor at 92 for 7. But Pandya, with determined support from the unflappable Bhuvneshwar Kumar, counterattacked brilliantly.
When the ball was pitched up, he drove through the covers. When they bounced him, he cut, pulled and ramped the ball over the keeper and slips. There was one remarkable tennis forehand-style shot over cover, and the onslaught forced Faf du Plessis to place as many as six men on the rope.
Pandya enjoyed some good fortune too, with Elgar dropping him at gully off Steyn’s bowling when he had just 15, and Quinton de Kock missing a stumping chance off Keshav Maharaj on 71. But with Bhuvneshwar (25) also growing in confidence and playing some lovely drives, the partnership swelled to 99 soon after tea.
By then, South Africa had lost Dale Steyn, who landed awkwardly in the footmarks while bowling his 18th over. Scans revealed ‘a significant strain to the foot, leading to tissue damage on the underside of the foot in the heel area’. Mohammed Moosajee, the team manager, told the media: “He is unlikely to bowl in this Test match, because the recovery period for this could be anything from four to six weeks – which means he could be out for the series.”
Kagiso Rabada and Philander both finished with three wickets apiece, and it was Rabada who ended Pandya’s epic knock with a short ball from round the wicket that he could only top-edge behind. “The environment got very positive in the dressing room after Pandya’s innings,” said Pujara after the day’s play. “He got us two wickets also. His performance today was outstanding.”