South Africa off-spinner Simon Harmer continues to produce stunning deliveries during the ongoing two-match Test series against Team India.
Harmer got rid of opener KL Rahul on Day 4 (Tuesday, November 25) of the second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium with a ball that any off-spinner would delight in.
The Proteas declared their second innings at 260/5, with a lead of 548. Tristan Stubbs was dismissed after scoring 94 runs off 180 balls, including nine boundaries and one six. Ravindra Jadeja picked up four wickets, while Washington Sundar bagged one. The other bowlers failed to take any wickets in the innings.
Simon Harmer Bamboozles KL Rahul With an Absolute Ripper
Simon Harmer produced a brilliant delivery in the 10th over. Harmer tossed the ball up outside off, drawing KL Rahul forward. The ball then spun sharply from the rough, sneaking through the gap between bat and pad and crashing into the stumps.
KL Rahul tried to play across the line and left too much space for the ball to sneak in. His forward stride and closed bat face only made the mistake worse. The wicket left India in deeper trouble, with both openers back in the pavilion.
Harmer, enjoying a superb series, added another wicket to his name. Rahul had to walk back to the dressing room after scoring 6 off 29 balls. India lost their second wicket with just 21 runs on the board.
India Bowled Out for 201 Runs in First Innings
South Africa tightened their grip on the second Test with a strong all-round display. Chasing 549, India were 27/2 at the time of writing. Sai Sudharsan (2) and Kuldeep Yadav (4) remained unbeaten at the crease.
They declared their second innings at 260/5. Tristan Stubbs was the top scorer for the Proteas with 94 runs, while Tony de Zorzi added 49. Wiaan Mulder (35*), Ryan Rickelton (35) and Aiden Markram (29) also chipped in with valuable runs.
Earlier, South Africa had posted 489 in their first innings. Senuran Muthusamy (109) and Marco Jansen (93) rescued the team from a collapse. Kuldeep Yadav took four wickets.
India, led by Rishabh Pant, were dismissed for 201 in the first innings. Jansen took six wickets, while Simon Harmer supported him with three. The middle-order batters threw their wickets away with rash shots.
KL Rahul Named India Cpatain for South Africa ODIs
KL Rahul’s batting duties in the Test series are now over, and he will next be seen in action during the ODI leg of the tour. The BCCI has named him India’s captain for the three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting on November 30 in Ranchi.
Rahul will lead the team as regular skipper Shubman Gill is unavailable. The Karnataka batter already has experience leading India in limited-overs cricket. So far, he has captained the ODI side 12 times, winning eight of those matches.
He also led India during the ODI series in South Africa in December 2023, guiding the team to a 2-1 victory. With him returning as captain, India will look to recover after losing their most recent ODI series to Australia.
As a batter, Rahul has been one of India’s most reliable performers in the format. He has scored 3,092 runs in 88 ODIs at an impressive average of 48.31, including seven centuries and 18 fifties.