Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur was in his element as he helped India reduce South Africa 102/4 at lunch on Day 2 of the second Test at The Wanderers Stadium on Tuesday.
Thakur bagged three important wickets by giving away just eight runs during his spell before lunch.
Resuming the day at 35/1, South Africa added 67 runs and lost three key wickets in the morning session, still trailing India by 100 runs.
Meanwhile, the cricket fraternity and netizens came up with hilarious memes and interesting tweets to hail ‘Lord Shardul Thakur’ for his sensational bowling performance. Here are some of the reactions:
Lord Shardul and team India believe in fair play. That’s why Lord never bowls to new batsmen, he’s only brought on once there is a partnership and the batsmen are set. Lord still gets them out though #SAvIND
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) January 4, 2022
The lord is spitting fire at the bull ring @imShard #IndianCricketTeam #SAvsIND
— DK (@DineshKarthik) January 4, 2022
#SAvsIND #2ndtest #Shardulthakur #lordshardul #INDvsSA #INDvsSAF
Bumrah, Shami, Suraj and Ashwin are dying to take wicket
Meanwhile Lord Shardul : pic.twitter.com/7S2HhYgzVU
— Christopher (@Vishal_Thaker4) January 4, 2022
Lord Shardul Thakur on Fire #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/TI3J7f4cr5
— RVCJ Media (@RVCJ_FB) January 4, 2022
Lord Shardul waits for people to doubt him so he could prove them wrong.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) January 4, 2022
Lord shardul #INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/5JL0S3pCYo
— 7.0 (@A7pha_) January 4, 2022
When Lord Shardul Thakur was born, the doctor was the one that cried and Lord patted him on the back.
— The Joker (Taylor’s Version) (@Jokeresque_) January 4, 2022
Every time India needs a wicket desperately, Shardul Thakur comes & bless us all!
All bow down to the Lord Shardul Thakur Supremacy!#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/iBZkiLZAXZ— Vishal Verma (@VishalVerma_9) January 4, 2022
Talking about the match, it was a contrasting start for Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen against the visitors. Petersen began the day with a confident backfoot punch through cover for three runs off Bumrah and a four to fine leg but Elgar, at the other end wasn’t too comfortable against the Indian pacers.
The Proteas captain even survived a catching dismissal as India went up in appeal for a caught behind off Bumrah, with Elgar jamming his bat down outside off. There appeared a deflection but the on field umpires weren’t sure and went upstairs, with the soft signal being out.
But the third umpire ruled that the bat hit the ground and not the ball, giving the batter not out.
With the second-wicket partnership going well for the hosts, India brought Siraj into the attack in the 29th over. But he wasn’t at his absolute best, not being able to steam in full throttle due to the injury the pacer seemed to have suffered on Day 1.
However, he seemed to be getting into his rhythm and pace with every passing over.
It was Shardul Thakur, who gave India the first breakthrough of the day, dismissing Elgar for 28 off 120. It was pitched on a length and shaped away a bit. Elgar, who had a poke at it, got a faint nick to the wicket-keeper, thus ending a 74-run second-wicket stand which came off 211 deliveries.
Meanwhile, Petersen, who looked in solid touch brought up his maiden Test fifty with a boundary off Shami. However, he probably got carried away thereafter and fell to Thakur on 62 as he pushed at a length delivery and edged it to Mayank Agarwal at second slip.
Shardul got his third wicket of the morning by removing Rassie van der Dussen (1), who looked to defend but got an inside edge through to the wicket-keeper, leaving South Africa at 102/4 at lunch.
Earlier, a solid bowling performance, led by Marco Jansen’s 4/31, helped South Africa bowl out India at 202 in their first innings on Day 1.
Brief scores: India 202 all out in 63.1 overs (KL Rahul 50, Ravichandran Ashwin 46; Marco Jansen 4/31, Kagiso Rabada 3/64) vs South Africa 102/4 in 44.4 overs (Keegan Petersen 62, Dean Elgar 28; Shardul Thakur 3/8).
