India vs South Africa | Predictions for Day 2 in Vizag
India hit all the right notes on Day 1 as Rohit Sharma’s flamboyant century and Mayank Agarwal’s supporting act put India in the driver’s seat in Visakhapatnam. Bodog had already predicted an India dominant game but 202 runs without a single dismissal on a rain-curtailed day is better than expected.
What happened on Day 1
After a cautious start in the opening hour when the ball had something to offer, the Indian openers played wait-and-watch game and finally settled firmly in the crease. Openers Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma scored with ease once the ball had lost its shine, piling up a massive partnership for the opening stand. They stitched up 91 runs in the opening session while South African bowlers had desperation written all over on their faces. Such was Rohit's dominance in the first session that Bodog immediately made him the favourite to top score in India's first innings.
The post-lunch session didn’t help either, with Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada finding it hard to find the correct length to bowl. Rohit rushed to his fourth century in Test cricket and his first as an opener in just 156 balls. Meanwhile, Agarwal also reached the 50-run mark at a brisk pace. Senuran Muthusamy and Dane Piedt were largely ineffective during the course of the first day.
Inclement weather forced the umpires to call for an early tea break. The scoreboard read 202 runs for no loss in favour of India with Sharma being unbeaten on 115 and Agarwal 16 runs shy of his maiden Test century. Uninterrupted rains denied the start of play in the post-tea session and the Day was officially called off at 3.31 pm local time.
What to expect from the pitch tomorrow?
As expected, the pitch has been a batsman’s paradise and a nightmarish for the bowlers. Apart from the initial phase where South Africa’s fast bowlers bowled with a bit of discipline, it was a below-par bowling performance from the Proteas. That has seen them drop heavily in Bodog's estimation as the latter has not even given the visitors a fighting chance. South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis tried to play a trump card by introducing left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj early on, but the pitch had little part to play and the lightning-fast outfield didn’t help either.
Predominantly a flat wicket, we are expecting a flurry of runs from the Indians as the game progresses to the second day. With the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane yet to bat, India is aiming for a big total. Bodog has even increased their predicted first innings score to over 571 in the first innings for the hosts.
What to look forward to tomorrow
Even if the overnight batsmen perish in the first hour of the play tomorrow, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli will not miss an opportunity to make most of the batting belter. We are awaiting run fest from the Indian batsmen which go deep down the order till Ravindra Jadeja who will be in at number 8. Such is the confidence that Virat Kohli instils that Bodog has still given him a chance of becoming the highest scorer for India in the first innings in Visakhapatnam.
From South Africa’s point of view, they would like to capitalise the first hour with their speedsters Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander getting some movement with the ball. But the Proteas will look up to Keshav Maharaj to make the difference and pick wickets later on when the pitch wears out. But they might not be able to restrict India to anything less than 570. Hence, we can expect India to score a huge first-innings total and put pressure on the visitors with Mohammad Shami and Ishant Sharma at their disposal.
Weather Forecast
India fans were heartbroken after rain played spoilsport in the opening day of the match when the batsmen were sailing along with more than 200 runs on the board. Unfortunately, a single ball wasn’t bowled post-tea. But, we have good news for Day 2.
Even though the sky will remain dull for the most part of the second day in Visakhapatnam, light thundershowers are expected only in the evening after 5 pm. Thus, we are in for a full Day’s play at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
Key Batsmen
Rohit Sharma
The right-hander has already stepped into three figures in what has been an action-packed inning so far. Rohit Sharma has the knack of converting centuries to big ones and this is exactly what will keep the fans hooked on to the Television sets when he takes the centre stage on Thursday. This is a golden opportunity for him to surpass his best score of 177 which he scored on his debut in Kolkata, back in 2013. He has the chance of putting an end to predictions altogether and Bodog has made him the frontrunner to do so.
Key Bowlers
Kagiso Rabada
The fierce right-arm bowler was the most promising bowler for South Africa in the opening day of the match and had created a few problems for the Indian batsmen. He swung the ball in towards Rohit Sharma, an area where the batsman feels ill at ease. The onus will be on Rabada to pick up early wickets on Day 2 to put an end to the opening run stand which has already crossed 200 runs. His performance today has seen him overtake Maharaj as the best bet to lead South Africa to a wicket tomorrow.
Bodog Predictions
Despite Rohit Sharma being the odds on favorite to be the best Indian batsman in the first innings of the Test, Virat Kohli might still have a say before the innings comes to an end. In 35 matches at home, the right-hander has amassed runs at an average of 64.68. The last time he played at this venue, he averaged a cool 124 in two innings. As far as South Africa is concerned, Bodog has not given up on Maharaj yet. The left-arm spinner was supposed to be one of South Africa’s most lethal weapons, but he has not lived up the hype so far. Even though Bodog has predicted India to finish well over 500 runs, they have given Maharaj a chance to have his say.
When to watch: October 3, 2019, 9.30 am
Where to watch: Hotstar and Star Network
Along with all the live coverage, if you want to know who exactly holds the key in the game at any point of time, Bodog provides all the coverage live throughout the game.
Playing XIs
India
Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami
South Africa
Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Theunis de Bruyn, Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Vernon Philander, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada
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