The second Test between South Africa and India at Johannesburg went in the hosts’ favour with India losing at the venue for the first time. Even though India ended up on the wrong side of the result, there was one Indian who had reason to celebrate.
All-rounder Shardul Thakur took seven for 61 in the first innings to help India claw back into the game. Those bowling figures by Thakur are the best by an Indian against South Africa in Test cricket.
Special seven
Shardul Thakur took the wickets of South African skipper Dean Elgar, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen (right in left), Kyle Verreynne, Temba Bavuma, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi in the first innings of the second Test, finishing with figures of seven for 71.
Six of Thakur’s seven victims in this innings were out caught. Elgar, van der Dussen, Bavuma and Ngidi were all out caught behind by wicketkeeper Rishab Pant. While Petersen was caught by Mayank Aganwal and Jansen by Ravichandran Ashwin, Verreynne was dismissed lbw.
Thakur required just 17.5 overs for his seven-wicket haul. This is second-fewest for an Indian pacer to pick up seven wickets in a Test innings. Irfan Pathan, who picked up 7 for 59 in 15.2 overs against Zimbabwe in 2005, is the only Indian pacer who has taken seven wickets while bowling fewer deliveries.
With his 7 for 61, Shardul Thakur now has the best bowling figures by an Indian in a Test innings against South Africa. The previous best was held by Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 7 for 66 against the Proteas in a Test match in Nagpur in 2015.
When it comes to away Tests, Thakur’s bowling performances is the fourth-best by an Indian pacer. Kapil Dev has taken eight wickets in an away Test on two occasions -8 for 85 against Pakistan in Lahore in 1983 and 8 for 106 against Australia in Adelaide in 1985. Thakur’s seven-for slots in behind Irfan Pathan’s 7 for 59 against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2005.
If we were to include the performance of the Indian spinners as well, Thakurs bowling figures are the sixth-best in away Tests for an Indian – Erapalli Prasanna heads the list with his 8 for 76 against New Zealand in Auckland in 1976 while Anil Kumble is fourth with his 8 for 141 against Australia in Sydney in 2004.
Picture Credit : Google
