Staff Reporter.
No play was possible on the second day of the first test between South Africa and India at Centurion Park on Monday as heavy rain meant frustration for both sides seeking to gain the upper hand in the three-match series.
The good news is that the forecast is much better for Tuesday – a high of 27°C and a 10% chance of rain.
India will resume their innings on 272-3 with KL Rahul (122*) and Ajinkya Rahane (40*) at the crease.
Opener KL Rahul was superb on Sunday as he made an unbeaten 122 and when play resumes he will be joined at the crease by Ajinkya Rahane on 40.
They will want to post a big first-innings score and potentially bat only once in the test if they are not to run out of time in their quest for victory.
South Africa will feel in the match too if they can wrap up the Indian innings quickly on the third day, but will have to bowl a lot better than on Sunday, when only seamer Lungi Ngidi (3-45) was among the wickets.
India are seeking a first test series win in South Africa with matches in Johannesburg and Cape Town to follow.
Meanwhile the reasons for Duanne Olivier’s surprise omission from the Proteas XI to face India in Centurion have been revealed.
Olivier was expected to make a much-anticipated Test return having last played for the Proteas in February 2019.
However, 21-year-old Marco Jansen was instead given a Test debut while the selectors backed Lungi Ngidi, who took all three Indian wickets to fall on day one.
When Olivier was left out of the team on Sunday, a Proteas spokesperson said “everyone is fit and available to be selected”.
Yet, in an interview with ESPN Cricinfo on Monday, Proteas selection convener Victor Mpitsang said Olivier had a hamstring niggle.
“Duanne Olivier is healthy and well but did return a positive Covid-19 test result a number of weeks ago, which forced him to quarantine and took time away from his training,” Mpitsang told the website. “His workloads were not where the selection panel would have wanted them to be by the time he entered the team bubble ahead of the first Test match.
“He picked up a hamstring niggle during the two-day, inter-squad match at the start of the camp and the selectors did not want to risk him unnecessarily when there are two more Test matches to think about,” Mpitsang added.