Agarwal double ton guides India to 502 against South Africa

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Agarwal double ton guides India to 502 against South Africa

India's Mayank Agarwal celebrates after scoring his maiden double century on the 2nd day of the 1st cricket Test match against South Africa

Visakhapatnam - The visitors lost cheap wickets before the second day ended.

By AFP

Published: Fri 4 Oct 2019, 4:39 PM

Opening batsman Mayank Agarwal completed a double century Thursday as India put South Africa's bowlers to the sword in the first Test.
Agarwal made 215 out of India's 502 for seven declared in Visakhapatnam.
South Africa then lost cheap wickets before the second day ended, reaching 39 for three at the close, with Ravichandran Ashwin leading a spin rout of the top order.
Ashwin bowled Aiden Markram for five and Theunis de Bruyn caught behind for four. Nightwatchman Dane Piedt was bowled middle stump by Ravindra without scoring.
Opener Dean Elgar, on 27, and Temba Bavuma, on two, were at the crease, with their side needing another 264 to avoid a follow-on.
The 28-year-old Agarwal put on a record 317-run opening stand with opening partner Rohit Sharma to set the tone for India's dominance.
He smashed six sixes and 23 fours in a 371-ball knock, using the reverse sweep to good effect as he made his mark in just his fifth Test.
Agarwal eventually fell to part-time spinner Elgar before leaving to handshakes from South African players.
Sharma fell for 176, stumped off Keshav Maharaj before lunch. Sharma, who resumed the day on 115, smashed the ball to all parts of the ground.
India then suffered two quick blows. Cheteshwar Pujara went for six and skipper Virat Kohli for 20.
Paceman Vernon Philander bowled Pujara on the first delivery of the second session. Debutant spinner Senuran Muthusamy had Kohli caught and bowled as his maiden Test wicket.
Jadeja, who made 30 not out, and wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha, who hit 21, gave useful support in building up the huge total.
Maharaj took three wickets from 55 overs of left-arm spin.
The pitch had already started turning as India sent in Ashwin and Jadeja to make quickfire strikes on the South African batsmen.

Scoreboard
India 1st innings (overnight 202-0, M. Agarwal 84, R. Sharma 115)
M. Agarwal c Piedt b Elgar             215
R. Sharma st de Kock b Maharaj         176
C. Pujara b Philander                    6
V. Kohli c & b Muthusamy                20
A. Rahane c Bavuma b Maharaj            15
R. Jadeja not out                       30
H. Vihari c Elgar b Maharaj             10
W. Saha c Muthusamy b Piedt             21
R. Ashwin not out                        1
Extras (b4, lb1, nb2, w1)                8
Total (7 wickets dec, 136 overs)       502
Did not bat: I. Sharma, M. Shami
Fall of wickets: 1-317 (Sharma), 2-324 (Pujara), 3-377 (Kohli), 4-431 (Rahane), 5-436 (Agarwal), 6-457 (Vihari), 7-494 (Saha)
Bowling: Philander 22-4-68-1, Rabada 24-7-66-0, Maharaj 55-6-189-2 (nb1), Piedt 19-1-107-1, Muthusamy 15-1-63-1 (w1, nb1), Elgar 1-0-4-1
South Africa 1st innings
D. Elgar not out                        27
A. Markram b Markram                     5
T. de Bruyn c Saha b Ashwin              4
D. Piedt b Jadeja                        0
T. Bavuma not out                        2
Extras (lb1)                             1
Total (3 wickets, 20 overs)             39
To bat: F. du Plessis, Q. de Kock, V. Philander, S. Muthusamy, K. Maharaj, K. Rabada
Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Markram), 2-31 (de Bruyn), 3-34 (Piedt)
Bowling: Sharma 2-0-8-0, Shami 2-2-0-0, Ashwin 8-4-9-2, Jadeja 8-1-21-1
Toss: India
Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Richard Illingworth (ENG)
TV Umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG)
Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)