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India vs South Africa 1st Test, Day 1 Highlights: Heavy rain washes out final session, India 202/0 at stumps
India vs South Africa, as it happened, 1st Test, Day 1:play has been called off due to heavy rain at Visakhapatnam. The umpires decided not to take any chances because of the heavy rain. There will be a normal 9:30 start tomorrow morning, the second session will be extended to make up for the lost time. India reached 202/0 with Rohit Sharma unbeaten on 115 and Mayank Agarwal batting on 89. Barring Philander and Rabada, South Africa have not been very good. Yes, the attack was mediocre, yes, the bowling was not challenging enough, but Rohit dug in, he curtailed his strokes to get going and then climbed into the spinners. A century for the right-hander and he, along with Mayank, has taken India past 200. No success for South Africa and they have allowed India to get away in this second session.Earlier, Virat Kohli won the toss and he batted first on a pitch which was deemed dry by both the captains. South Africa went in with three spinners and two fast-bowlers in Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander. India included Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha in their playing XI.
Follow India vs South Africa 1st test live highlights:
15:31 hrs IST
Play called off
Our Correspondent Abhishek Paul confirms that play has been called off due to heavy rain at Visakhapatnam. The umpires decided not to take any chances because of the heavy rain. There will be a normal 9:30 start tomorrow morning, the second session will be extended to make up for the lost time.
15:00 hrs IST
No improvement
It’s still raining quite heavily at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA stadium. To be honest, the ground staff have done a good job by covering the entire ground but for any play to be possible today, it has to stop raining, it’s as simple as that.
14:42 hrs IST
Where’s the ground?
Spot the green if you can. Our correspondent Abhishek Paul portrays the latest picture from the ground.
Not a good sign at all here at Visakhapatnam. Rain quite heavy now. #INDvsSA @HTSportsNews @BCCI pic.twitter.com/KHKO7pF8Kw
— Abhishek Paul (@ThisissAbhi) October 2, 2019
14:32 hrs IST
Heavy rain delays play after tea
Just as we feared. It’s pouring down at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA stadium in Visakhapatnam. And the start of play after tea on Day 1 has officially been delayed. The entire ground has been covered but it does not look good now. India 202/0
14:20 hrs IST
Dark clouds
It’s gone very dark here but still no sings of rain but one gets the feeling it’s only a matter of time now before the rain lashes out. But Rohit and Mayank will be hoping that it stays away as long as possible
14:08 hrs IST
Early Tea taken
It has suddenly become very dark in Vizag and the umpires have taken the players off the field. Early Tea has been taken and India will be thrilled with their position. South Africa have tried every trick, but have not managed to breakthrough. Rohit has galloped to a century, Mayank is eyeing his own. India bossing proceedings at Vizag!
13:59 hrs IST
Mayank is giving great support
The established opener in the side, Mayank Agarwal has been superb at the other end and has given great support to Rohit. After impressing in overseas conditions, this has been a good homecoming for the right-hander and now he too aims to notch up a century.
13:52 hrs IST
Rohit ton - Stat Attack
4th Test ton for R Sharma, all came in India
1st vs SA in Tests.
3rd IND opener to score a Test ton vs SA in Tests
13:48 hrs IST
Ton up Rohit
What an innings, so much talk, so much noise, so much pressure, Rohit has answered them all, in his own inimitable way. Took his time early on, was beaten, looked under pressure, but has since blossomed and taken the spinners on. That lofted bat says a story. 4th Test century, first as an opener.
13:32 hrs IST
Take it away, Rohit! Take it away!
SIX and SIX!!!! Two back-to-back hits from Rohit Sharma take him into the 90s. The right-hander is making it look ridiculously easy.
13:31 hrs IST
Yep, seems like this
Looking like a long day in the dirt for the proteas #SAvIND
— Graeme Smith (@GraemeSmith49) October 2, 2019
13:23 hrs IST
Mayank on the move
Not very good bowling and Mayank has taken toll of this - he has smacked his for two boundaries and well, India are racing along as things stand right now. South Africa look absolutely clueless and devoid of ideas, the sun is belting down on the ground, and SA are feeling the heat
13:13 hrs IST
Steady from India
The openers are not getting too head of themselves, they are keeping the good balls away and targeting the off-target deliveries. South Africa are not looking like breaking through, this is already proving to be a long day for the visitors!
13:03 hrs IST
No break for SA
Faf is shuffling his bowlers, but this pitch has now dried out. There is no assistance for the bowlers and after all the hard work in the morning, the batsmen are in cruise control mode. Runs are flowing at a fair clip and South Africa look rather lost out on the field.
12:49 hrs IST
Rohit takes charge
Well, the strokes are coming back. Rohit is on the move and the elegance is enthralling us all. Stands tall, waits for the ball to arrive and then punches it through covers. He looks to be in control and Faf seems to be lost for ideas. India are cruising along right now, SA need to strike, they need a wicket now!
12:37 hrs IST
50 for Mayank
What a terrific stroke to get to the landmark, opens up his stance, crouches low and then lofts a fullish ball over wide long off to collect a six and get to his 50. Top innings, a proper Test innings this. Both the openers have dug in and are now reaping the rewards.
12:33 hrs IST
100 up
Finally the release, Philander strays on to the pads and Mayank clips it away past mid-wicket. India have gone past 100 and are looking very solid. The openers have laid a solid platform, they need to keep chugging along. How will Faf buy a wicket?
12:30 hrs IST
Building pressure
Good passage of play for South Africa, Philander and Maharaj are keeping a tight leash over the scoring. Rohit and Mayank are patient right now, and well, Test cricket is all about who blinks first. South Africa will have to be relentless and patient on this surface.
12:14 hrs IST
Back after Lunch
Not a good start by Maharaj, that ball was short and Rohit rocked back and hammered a cut past cover point. A boundary to start proceedings after Lunch, just the start India would have wanted. Not so for South Africa, though!
11:36 hrs IST
Lunch
91 runs for India, no wickets for South Africa. Rohit got to his 50, Mayank has looked solid. This has been a great session for the hosts and they are placed solidly after the first session. SA spinners were not entirely convincing and they allowed the openers to break free after a solid first spell by the pacers. They have to be more penetrative in the second session!
11:29 hrs IST
50 for Rohit
He has aced the test. After a stern examination in the first half an hour, Rohit has looked far more secured and settled and has gone after the spinners. He has raised his 11th half-century and first as an opener. Has been a good innings, the dressing room applauds and captain Kohli is leading the applause.
11:21 hrs IST
South Africa under pressure
Welcome to India, Faf, welcome once again! Indian openers encountered the new ball, they saw off the tricky phase and now are dominating the spinners. This is when the touring captain starts questioning his job and his decisions, how good are you Faf?
11:13 hrs IST
Ro ‘HIT’
Down the track, close enough to the pitch of the ball and then that languid swing of that bat - ball soars over long on, high and mighty. Rohit in all his glory, Rohit taking off, what a sight! India on the move and Faf is under pressure here. India have broken free after the drink’s break!
11:08 hrs IST
More comfortable against spin
False shot percentage for India today:
v pace - 19%
v spin - 7%#INDvSA
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 2, 2019
11:05 hrs IST
Spinners being put under pressure
Both Rohit and Mayank are attacking the spinners and India have found momentum after the drink’s break. Great passage of plat for the hosts and South Africa are under pressure right now. Their spinners have to stick to the task or else, it might be a long day out in the sun.
11:00 hrs IST
Acceleration is here
Both Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma have decided to take on the spinners and so far, they have been successful in pushing the net run rate. This is now a good start for India and the openers should not throw away this chance to make it big
10:50 hrs IST
A record of sorts has been created
The newly-formed opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal became the first Indian opening pair in 47 years to play their first match on home soil. The last time both Indian opening batsmen were playing their first match in India was Sunil Gavaskar and Ramnath Parkar way back in 1972 at New Delhi against England. Parkar was making his Test debut while Gavaskar was playing his first match as an opener at home.
Read more about it here.
10:45 hrs IST
Rohit looking far more settled
After a rather jittery start, Rohit has settled down and is looking far more relaxed. This is a good start for India, the openers have done the tough bit and now is the time for them to dig deep and bat right through the session and aim for a big score.
10:33 hrs IST
Good, solid start by India
These two have been put to the test, but have dug in and have been watchful as India see off the first hour unscathed. South Africa have been relentless, but then, India will the happier side at the drink’s break.
10:23 hrs IST
Good initiative by the Indian Team
#TeamIndia joins the #SwachhBharatAbhiyaan again as the sanitation revolution completes 5 years on Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.#GandhiJayanti #SwachhBharat pic.twitter.com/J37lmoWceb
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 2, 2019
10:18 hrs IST
Impressive from Maharaj
There are early indications that this pitch will spin and Keshav Maharaj has started brilliantly. His biggest strength is his accuracy and he is already causing few problems for Mayank Agarwal. Good start and well, the pitch is a dry one and one can see few spike marks on it!
10:11 hrs IST
Spin introduced
First glimpse of Keshav Maharaj and he started superbly. Landing the ball on the perfect length and asking questions - the odd ball will spin after pitching and this will be another test for this opening duo.
10:07 hrs IST
Excellent from Rabada
There is so much skill on display at the moment. Both these bowlers are running in and getting the ball to nip around off the surface and this is keeping the Indian openers on their toes. It has been a watchful start, and they have been subject to a stern examination.
9:54 hrs IST
Proper Test match bowling
Excellent over by Philander, he has Rohit in some trouble and well, this is proper Test match bowling. Rohit has been watchful, but he needs to be awake to the challenges posed by these bowlers.
9:49 hrs IST
Testing over by Rabada
He has hit his stride, has Rabada and that over was a testing one, Mayank was beaten on a couple of occasions and this ball is moving around just a little bit. He is just a classy bowler and this first 30-40 minute will be extremely crucial for South Africa!
9:41 hrs IST
Rohit negotiates the first over
Rabada comes pounding in, hurls the ball outside the off stump and Rohit goes after one and gets it past gully to get off the mark with the boundary. And then he has been disciplined outside the off stump, but then, it is just the first over.
9:36 hrs IST
Mayank gets going
First few deliveries on this pitch give us the feeling that there is not too much pace and bounce on offer and hence, it will be a true surface to bat on. Mayank takes the big stride forward and skews a drive through gully and collects a boundary to get going.
9:32 hrs IST
Philander with the new ball
Two slips and a gully in position, Mayank takes strike and Philander will run in with the new ball. All set, let’s have some Test cricket, folks!
9:29 hrs IST
National anthems have been sung
The national anthems are done and dusted, South Africa in a huddle, the crowd is fairly thin, but they are making their presence felt. Out walk Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal and this will be a testing phase for the both these players.
9:10 hrs IST
Playing XIs
South Africa: A Markram, D Elgar, T de Bruyn, T Bavuma, F du Plessis, Q de Kock, V Philander, S Muthusamy, K Maharaj, D Piedt, K Rabada
India: R Sharma, M Agarwal, C Pujara, V Kohli, A Rahane, H Vihari, W Saha, R Jadeja, R Ashwin, I Sharma, M Shami
9:05 hrs IST
What the captains said
Virat Kohli (India captain): No brainer, going to bat. Looks a good wicket. Will play well for the first couple of days. Nature of the pitch is that it’ll get slower after that. Great opportunity for Rohit at the top of the order. He’s excited to get the role clarity. It’s a new opportunity for him. According to me, Saha is the best keeper in the world. We were waiting for the right moment to bring him back. They had more experienced players back then. It’s going to be a hard grind for sure.
Faf du Plessis (South Africa captain): Pretty obvious, quite a dry pitch. Our coin toss record in the subcontinent isn’t the best. First innings is going to be very important. We’ve lost a few Test players, even in the last year or so. Fresh start for a lot of new faces. Very young group. Nice challenge for us. These guys will be the next Dale Steyns and the next Hashim Amlas. Good to be at the start of the journey for them, have to try and play a mentorship role to get them through. The dryness of the surface, we’ve gone in with two seamers, one all-rounder, and three spinners.
9:01 hrs IST
The toss
India captain Virat Kohli won the and had no hesitation in opting to bat first at Visakhapatnam.
8:55 hrs IST
Pitch report
“No grass on it. On day 1, it should be a good surface to bat on. There are these cracks which will open up. Those areas will chip away as more and more deliveries land on them. Batting won’t be easy on the evening of day 3. There will be more in it for the spinners from day 2 once the sun comes out. Any captain winning the toss will want to bat first,” say Sunil Gavaskar and Murali Kartik on their pitch report
8:50 hrs IST
Quinton de Kock speaks
Hindustan Times spoke to De Kock about that process of forging a team out of new faces ahead of the first Test, and whether South African cricket is staring at a vacuum post the retirements of the likes of AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla. (Read the full interview here)
8:45 hrs IST
Weather update
It has been raining in the morning for the last few days in Visakhapatnam and the forecast is the same for the next five days but as of now there is no sign of rain and hopefully it stays the same throught the day. There is cloud cover but that is expected to clear out as t he day progresses.
8:40 hrs IST
Why Saha over Pant
India captain Virat Kohli explains the rational behind picking Wriddhiman Saha over Rishabh Pant for the first Test.
"We wanted to let Saha ease back into the side" - @imVkohli #TeamIndia #INDvSA @Paytm pic.twitter.com/FyOnvpe7QW
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 1, 2019
8:35 hrs IST
Rohit the opener
Here’s what Virat Kohli had to say about Rohit Sharma the opener
"We are looking forward to Rohit playing his natural game at the top" - @imVkohli 👌👌 #TeamIndia #INDvSA @paytm pic.twitter.com/yCKPxhwSsu
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 1, 2019
8:30 hrs IST
Saha in Pant out
Keeping true to their recent trend, India named their playing XI on the eve of the Test match. Kohli surprised mane when he announced the return of Wridhhiman Saha for the first time in 22 months at the expense of Rishabh Pant.
India Playing XI: Virat Kohli (Capt), Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Md Shami
8:15 hrs IST
World Championship comes to India
Hello and Welcome to the live coverage of the first of the three-test series against South Africa at Visakhapatnam. A lot of anticipation as Test cricket returns to India. Team India did play Afghanistan and West Indies in the between but for the last two years they have been travellers as far as red ball cricket is concerned.
