CENTURION, Jan 17: Indomitable at home, India�s batsmen capitulated in the face of South Africa�s menacing pace attack to suffer a 135-run drubbing in the second Test here today, ending a nine-series unbeaten run for Virat Kohli�s World No. 1 side.
After the 72-run loss in the opening Test, the margin got bigger here as the visitors handed the home side a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Rohit Sharma�s 47 was the lone noteworthy contribution in a chase of 287, which was a tall ask from the very beginning given the unpredictable bounce of the pitch.
The Indians folded for 151 in 50.2 overs, never really offering a fight.
Debutant Lungi Ngidi was the newest fast-bowling nemesis that India discovered as he snared six scalps for a mere 39 runs in 12.2 overs. Ngidi collected the man of the match award for his phenomenal debut show, which also included the prized wicket of Kohli in the second innings.
It was a revenge of sorts for Faf du Plessis� men, who had been blanked 3-0 by hosts India in 2015. The defeat ended the aura of invincibility that the Indian team had attained in the last one year, thanks largely to big wins registered in friendly subcontinental dustbowls.
From team selection to shot selection, to running between the wickets to the absence of sheer grit, India were left pondering quite a few issues at the end of just their second Test away from the subcontinent in more than a year.
On the other hand, the South Africans showed just why their pace attack is considered the most fearsome in the world.
A testament to the quality was Ngidi, who became only the sixth Proteas pacer to pick a five-wicket haul in his debut Test.
Lance Klusener (8/62 vs India in 1996), Charles Langeveldt (5/46 vs England in 2005), Vernon Philander (5/15 vs Australia in 2011), Merchant de Lange (7/81 vs Sri Lanka in 2011) and Kyle Abbott (7/29 vs Pakistan in 2013) are part of the illustrious club.
Indian, in contrast, embarrassed themselves. The team had been reduced to 87/7 at one stage, looking firmly down the barrel.
Starting from overnight 35/3, it was another horrific first hour of play for the visitors.
On the 19th ball of the morning, in the 27th over, Cheteshwar Pujara (19) was run out for the second time in the match. He went for an unnecessary third run and couldn�t beat AB de Villiers� throw from the deep, which Quinton de Kock swiftly passed to the stumps.
After his suicidal run-out in the first innings, Pujara became the first Indian batsman to be run-out twice in the same Test.
Three overs later, Parthiv Patel (19) pulled Kagiso Rabada (3-47) and a flying Morne Morkel took a brilliant catch at the deep square leg boundary.
Hardik Pandya (6) added 18 runs with Rohit (47 runs, 74 balls, 6 fours, 1 six). But then played a poor stroke off Ngidi in an attempt to lift the ball over slip cordon.
Instead, Pandya was caught behind leaving India at 83/6.
Ten balls later, R Ashwin (3) was caught behind off Ngidi and India�s hopes to even salvage a draw lay in tatters. � PTI
SCORECARD
outh Africa 1st innings: 335
India 1st innings: 307
South Africa 2nd innings: 258
India 2nd innings: (overnight 35-3)
Vijay b Rabada 9
Rahul c Maharaj b Lungi Ngidi 4
Pujara run out (de Villiers/de Kock) 19
Kohli lbw b Lungi Ngidi 5
Patel c Morne Morkel b Rabada 19
Rohit c de Villiers b Rabada 47
Pandya c de Kock b Lungi Ngidi 6
Ashwin c de Kock b Lungi Ngidi 3
Shami c Morkel b Ngidi 28
Ishant Sharma not out 4
Bumrah c Philander b Ngidi 2
Extras: (b4, w1) 5
Total: (all out in 50.3 overs) 151
Fall of wickets: 11-1, 16-2, 26-3, 49-4,65-5, 83-6,87-7, 141-8, 145-9, 151-10.
Bowling: Vernon Philander 10-3-25-0, Kagiso Rabada 14-3- 47-3, Lungi Ngidi 12.2-3-39-6, Morne Morkel 8-3-10-0 , Keshav Maharaj 6-1-26-0.
