Before Faf du Plessis declared his intention to settle scores with India, Vernon Philander was the first from the South African cricket team camp to question the visitors’ temperament despite their nine consecutive series wins. “We’re going to have to wait and see once they pass the first Test match,” Philander had said.
On a sunny Saturday morning, Philander and Dale Steyn -- later ruled out of the Test and likely the series due to a left heel injury -- took it upon themselves to hand India a stiff test at Newlands.
Philander isn’t express. Neither does he move the ball too much. If compared with the other South Africa pacers, you could say he doesn’t look that threatening. But the consistency with which he hits a nagging length makes Philander a bowler you don’t want to face even in the best of form.
Ask Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara. Given the precarious situation the Indian cricket team were in at stumps on Day 1, the duo had to play out the morning session to give the visitors any chance of making the most of good batting conditions in the next two sessions. Philander and Steyn though stretched them completely. Steyn often varied his length, attacking Pujara’s ribcage and testing him with bouncers. However, Philander was accuracy redefined, continuously hitting a fuller length on a fourth stump line.
Only 17 runs were scored from 13 overs in the first hour of play. India were allowed to score their first runs after four maidens, off Steyn, but Philander went on to bag figures of 5-5-0-0 before Pujara finally broke the dry run with a hurried single.
{{/usCountry}}Only 17 runs were scored from 13 overs in the first hour of play. India were allowed to score their first runs after four maidens, off Steyn, but Philander went on to bag figures of 5-5-0-0 before Pujara finally broke the dry run with a hurried single.
{{/usCountry}}Scoring became a little easier in the second hour with Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel taking over, with Rabada accounting for Rohit. But it was Philander again who struck a vital blow first ball after lunch.
Pujara, a picture of epic concentration in the first session, couldn’t resist fishing at a delivery that was seaming away. In this India team, Pujara and Murali Vijay are possibly the best leavers. Philander however showed he can make even the best fall into his well-laid traps.
Having snapped up Shikhar Dhawan on Friday, Steyn added Wriddhiman Saha to his tally with a delivery to which the batsman should have offered a shot. Steyn should consider himself unlucky not to get Pandya’s scalp at a time he was threatening to break the shackles. A caught-behind decision was reversed on review but had Dean Elgar -- at gully -- held on to a leading edge, Steyn’s brief comeback to Test cricket would have been complete in every sense.