Team India pacer Shardul Thakur and his sensational figures of 7/61 brought the visitors back into competition on the second day of the second Test against South Africa at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Tuesday (January 4). Thakur completed his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket and helped bundle out South Africa for 229 as India took a lead of just 27 runs.
The former Mumbai and Chennai Super Kings seamer now holds the record for the best innings among Indian bowlers in South Africa. He overtook Harbhajan Singh in the process, who scored 7/120 in the Cape Town Test during India’s tour of 2010-11.
South Africa Best innings figures for India
7/61 – Shardul Thakur, Johannesburg 2021-22
7/120 – Harbhajan Singh, Cape Town 2010-11
6/53 – Anil Kumble, Johannesburg 1992-93
6/76 – Javagal Srinath, Port Elizabeth 2001-02
6/138 – Ravindra Jadeja, Durban 2013-14
Thakur now also holds the record for the best bowling performance by an Indian against South Africa in Test innings. He has surpassed Ravichandran Ashwin to top the charts in this category.
- Shardul Thakur scripted history with record 7-wicket haul against South Africa on Day 2 of the 2nd Test match
- All-rounder Shardul Thakur registered his career-best figures in the 2nd Test match at the Wanderers Stadium
- Pacer Shardul Thakur shattered multiple records for India with his bowling masterclass
The pacer’s show also saw him as a unique achievement as he now has the joint-best figures by any bowler since South Africa’s re-entry in 1992. Former England fast bowler Matthew Hoggard had returned with accurate figures against South Africa. feat which he accomplished in 2004-05.
Thakur may have recorded the best bowling figures by an Indian in Test cricket against South Africa, but the pacer feels his best in the longest format is “yet to come”. When asked about his performance, Shardul replied, “Yes it is my best figures but my best is always to come, I would say.”
Till stumps on the second day, India’s scorecard is 85/2, with Pujara (35 not out) and Rahane (11 not out) at the crease. Like the first day, 11 wickets fell on the second day as Shardul Thakur dominated the proceedings on Tuesday.
“My performance in domestic cricket with red ball cricket and white ball cricket has been rewarded. Whenever given a chance to play for India, I am always up for it and especially in Test cricket because it It is the purest form of the game, Shardul said at a press conference after the end of the day’s play.
“Whenever I am playing red-ball cricket, I have the same energy and I am ready to take wickets for the team,” he said.
Shardul Thakur also recalled the impact his childhood coach Dinesh Lad had on the all-rounder. “Yes, obviously he (Dinesh) has had a huge impact on my cricket career, he is my second parent. He gave me exposure, offered me admission in a school in Borivali and since then my life has changed. It is,” said Shardul.
India had a poor start in the second innings as caretaker captain KL Rahul was dismissed in the seventh over. India’s trouble increased when Mayank Agarwal did not give any shot and he was dismissed lbw in the 12th over.
It was Shardul Thakur who gave India their first breakthrough of the day, dismissing Elgar for 28 off 120. It was pitched at length and shaped slightly away. Elgar, who had struck it, got a faint one for the wicketkeeper, thus ending the second wicket stand of 74, which came off 211 balls.
Meanwhile, Pietersen, who was looking in solid form, hit a boundary off Shami to complete his maiden Test fifty. However, he probably got away after that and fell to Thakur on 62 as he pushed a long delivery and dismissed Mayank Agarwal at second slip.
Shardul got his third wicket of the morning by removing Rasi van der Dussen (1), who was looking for defense, but took an inside edge through the wicketkeeper, leaving South Africa 102/4 at lunchtime. But left.
Earlier, a solid bowling performance led by Marco Jensen’s 4/31 helped South Africa bowl India out for 202 in their first innings on the first day.
Brief Scores: India 202 in 63.1 overs (KL Rahul 50, Ravichandran Ashwin 46; Marco Jensen 4/31, Kagiso Rabada 3/64) vs South Africa 102/4 in 44.4 overs (Keegan Pietersen 62, Dean Elgar 28; Shardul) Thakur 3/8).