Amla, De Villiers block India's march to victory
South Africa captain Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers blocked their way to 72/2 in 72 overs on day four of the fourth Test at Kotla in New Delhi to take the Test to the fifth day. India had set South Africa a target of 481 with Ajinkya Rahane scoring his second century of the match.
Brief Scores: India 267/5d (Rahane 100, Kohli 88, Morkel 3/51) and 334 (Rahane 127, Ashwin 56, Abbott 5/40, Piedt 4/117) lead South Africa 72/2 (Amla 23*, AB de Villiers 11*, Ashwin2/29) and 121 (AB de Villiers 42, Jadeja 5/30, Ashwin 2/26) by 408 runs
India started Day four at 190 for four with a hundred in the offering for Kohli and Rahane. With the new ball just one-over old, South Africa started the attack with Morkel and Abbott. Rahane and Kohli’s approach from the start showed India’s mindset for quick runs before a declaration. In the 85th over, Rahane chipped Morkel over the third-man boundary as India's score roared past 200.
However, Abbott removed Kohli in the next over with the captain 12 runs away from a brilliant hundred. Abbott’s good length delivery kept low to trap the Indian captain before the stumps and to end the 154-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Saha joined Rahane in the middle after Kohli’s dismissal. Rahane looked in a really hungry mood in the morning scoring 21 of India’s first 28 runs in the session. Rahane slammed Tahir and Elgar for sixes in consecutive overs to reassert his intent for quick runs. Saha also joined the party with two boundaries against Tahir in the next over.
Rahane brought up his second hundred of the match and sixth of the career with a single to square. As Rahane celebrated by raising his arms, Indian captain Virat Kohli called his teammates back to signal India’s declaration. With India declaring their innings at 267 for 5, the Proteas were set a target of 481 to chase with five sessions remaining in the match.
India opened the bowling with Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin against Proteas openers Dean Elgar and Temba Bavuma. Ashwin struck in his second over removing Elgar for four runs. A flighted ball that pitched on middle stump spun sharply away from the left hander to take the outside edge into the hands of Rahane at first slip. The Proteas went into lunch at 5/1, 476 runs away from a victory.
After the lunch break, the Proteas went into a defensive mode with Amla and Bavuma blocking Ashwin and Jadeja. Amla took fifty one balls to get off the mark as the partnership crossed 15 runs in 15 overs. The Proteas batsmen played out their first wicket-less session of the series with Bavuma and Amla forming a 35-run partnership in 35 overs. The Indian bowlers also went through their overs quickly as 22 maidens came in 39 overs with few close shouts and edges falling along the way. South Africa were 40/1 at tea with Amla 6 off 113 balls and Bavuma 30 off 104 balls at the crease.
Ashwin brought cheer to the crowd at Kotla shortly after tea removing Bavuma for 34. A flighted delivery outside off from Ashwin drifted into Bavuma to remove his off stump. AB de Villiers came in next and continued the visitor's blocking match by taking 33 balls to get off the mark. With De Villiers and Amla forming a partnership of zero from 62 balls, Kohli brought Dhawan to change things a bit. It almost worked as Amla edged a ball only for it to fall inches away from Pujara at silly point. Kohli brought Vijay next as the Proteas continued to frustrate the Indians. South Africa finished the day at 72/2 from 72 overs with Amla 23 off 207 balls and AB de Villiers 11 off 91 balls, 409 runs from a victory.
India now need a different plan on the fifth day to remove the South African batsman, who have decided to play out the remaining overs.
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