Shami joins 200 club as India turn the screw on South Africa

South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada (left) walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal by India’s Mohamed Shami (second from left) during the third day of the first Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion yesterday. (AFP)

India seamer Mohamed Shami claimed his 200th Test wicket and completed figures of 5-44 as hosts South Africa were bowled out for 197 on the third day of the first Test yesterday. India reached 16 for one in their second innings at the close, a lead of 146 that already looks imposing for the home side on a Centurion Park wicket that will get harder to bat on. First-innings centurion K L Rahul (five not out) and nightwatchman Shardul Thakur (four) will resume on the fourth day trying to quickly move to a score that allows India to declare and have enough time to bowl the home side out again. Mayank Agarwal (four) was the only wicket to fall in India’s second innings as he edged debutant left-arm seamer Marco Jansen to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock. Eighteen wickets fell on the third day after no play was possible on Monday due to rain. Shami led the Indian attack with a superb bowling display, eking out every ounce of assistance from the helpful conditions. His haul included the wicket of South Africa’s top-scorer Temba Bavuma, who had reached 52 when he edged to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Bavuma put on 72 for the fifth wicket with De Kock (34) before the latter tried to guide a Thakur (2-51) delivery through gully but succeeded only in playing onto his own stumps. It was a key moment in the game that swung the momentum back in India’s favour and exposed the South African lower order. All the Indian seamers were among the wickets, Jasprit Bumrah (2-16) weighing in despite rolling his ankle and being forced to leave the field. He returned late on to pick up the last wicket. Seamer Lungi Ngidi had earlier taken 6-71 as South Africa made light work of bowling India out after the visitors resumed on 272 for three. Ngidi, who took a career-best 6-39 on debut against India at Centurion in 2018, helped South Africa claim the last seven wickets for the addition of only 55 runs in 15.3 overs.SCOREBOARD India first innings (overnight 272-3) K Rahul c De Kock b Rabada 123 M Agarwal lbw b Ngidi 60 C. Pujara c Petersen b Ngidi 0 V. Kohli c Mulder b Ngidi 35 A. Rahane c De Kock b Ngidi 48 R. Pant c Van der Dussen b Ngidi 8 R. Ashwin c Maharaj b Rabada 4 S. Thakur c De Kock b Rabada 4 M. Shami c De Kock b Ngidi 8 J. Bumrah c Mulder b Jansen 14 Mohammed Siraj not out 4 Extras (b4, lb4, nb11) 19 Total (105.3 overs) 327 Fall of wickets: 1-117 (Agarwal), 2-117 (Pujara), 3-199 (Kohli), 4-278 (Rahul), 5-291 (Rahane), 6-296 (Pant), 7-296 (Pant), 8-304 (Thakur), 9-308 (Shami) Bowling: Rabada 26-5-72-3 (11nb), Ngidi 24-5-71-6, Jansen 18.3-4-69-1, Mulder 19-4-49-0, Maharaj 18-2-58-0 South Africa first innings D. Elgar c Pant b Bumrah 1 A. Markram b Shami 13 K. Petersen b Shami 15 Van der Dussen c Rahane b Siraj 3 T. Bavuma c Pant b Shami 52 Q. de Kock b Thakur 34 W. Mulder c Pant b Shami 12 M. Jansen lbw b Thakur 19 K. Rabada c Pant b Shami 25 K. Maharaj c Rahane b Bumrah 12 L. Ngidi not out 0 Extras (lb4, nb7) 11 Total (62.3 overs) 197 Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Elgar), 2-25 (Petersen), 3-30 (Markram), 4-32 (Van der Dussen), 5-104 (De Kock), 6-133 (Mulder), 7-144 (Bavuma), 8-181 (Jansen), 9-193 (Rabada) Bowling: Bumrah 7.2-2-16-2, Siraj 15.1-3-45-1 (1nb), Shami 16-5-44-5, Thakur 11-1-51-2 (6nb), Ashwin 13-2-37-0 India second innings K. Rahul not out 5 M. Agarwal c De Kock b Jansen 4 S. Thakur not out 4 Extras (b1, nb2) 3 Total (1 wkt, 6 overs) 16 Fall of wicket: 1-12 (Agarwal) Bowling: Rabada 3-0-7-0 (2nb), Ngidi 2-1-4-0, Jansen 1-0-4-1.