After losing the last two tests, India is now struggling in the 3rd test. Score after the end of the first session is 45/2, Skipper Virat Kohli is playing on 23*, while his partner Pujara is on 3*. At first captain, Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first, the start of Indian innings was poor. Opener Lokesh Rahul fails to open his innings and got out by Philander at 0 after this Rabada departs Murali Vijay on the score of just 8 runs. There were two changes in the Indian team.
After a lot of drama, Ajinkya Rahane got his first match, being ignored by captain Kohli for previous two matches of this tour. Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes in for Ravichandran Ashwin, who got a break in this match.
After 2011-02 this was the second time when India picks 5 seam bowlers in the overseas test match. Last time India do the same thing against Australia in Perth test 2001-02, which helps India to win the Match.
African bowler Vernon Philander was on a string, his first spell read as 8-7-1-1. Out of 8 overs of Philander, 7 were maidens, he beats pujara and Kohli in multiple times. A poor technique of Indian opening pairs gives the early break-through for Africa.
Before ending the first session of Day-1, 27 overs bowled by African team and the total scorecard is 45-2.
Scoreboard
Lokesh Rahul- (0), Murali Vijay- (8)
Rabada- 7-2-15-1
Philander- 8-7-1-1
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