RSA VS IND - 2nd Test, India tour of South Africa, 2021-22

As in the first Test, the Johannesburg Test ebbed and flowed all the way over the past four days. Unlike in Centurion, India failed to grab the initiative and have ended up on the losing note. Not to take anything away from Elgar & co - the South African captain dodged many a bruises, many a blows and remained unconquered on 96, hitting the winning runs as well. The Indian batters can take note of their oppositions ranks, particularly Rishabh Pant, who might be left ruing his performance - both with the bat as well as with the gloves. The young Indian wicket-keeper started 2021 with a bang, but his start to 2022 has been nothing but disappointing. One team will go to Cape Town with plenty of confidence though and that'll be South Africa. After all that has happened off-field, they've found 11 individuals who can gel together and make their country proud, as Dean Elgar noted. Right, it's 1-1 and there's everything to play for in Cape Town. Rahul Dravid has a task on his hands, so does Mark Boucher - these two were proud competitors during their playing days and have seen plenty of ups and downs as well. Which team can lift themselves up for the finale at Newlands? We'll certainly be back bringing you every moment on your desktops. For now, cheers and bye..

Dean Elgar | Winning captain and Player of the Match - I don't know what's the right or wrong way in winning a cricket match, but it's all about doing the basics right. We ticked a lot of boxes right to make it 1-1. We now go to Cape Town with plenty of confidence - it wasn't easy, the batters were determined. but credit to our bowlers, the effort they put in was very impressive. I am yet to see the bruises (the blows he received), but it's a big motivation to go and play for your country. Whatever I'm going through, it's important to see the bigger picture and the bigger picture is to win games for your country. When you perform like this over the period of four days, it does make you forget the pain in doing so. A lot of test for our batters, we have struggled to find the right batting line-up, find the people for the right roles, entrust the people into their roles and to bat in such a way in not so easy conditions pleases you a lot. The way he batted (Rassie van der Dussen), he will go a long way in his career, the way he batted (during his knock of 40) will set him up in the future. Sometimes KG needs something to happen around, the catch that RvVD took, it got him into the mindset, he wants to be fired up all the times, he wants to bowl well and as a captain, it's nice to get him running around. It wasn't easy, but the bowlers did the job for me. Not exactly sure what will happen in CT, played a domestic game there, interesting to see what kind of a surface they'll give us. 1-1, South Africa v India, going into the final Test all square, we couldn't have written a better script.

KL Rahul | Losing captain- Every Test match we play, we want to win, we go out there and compete hard, but South Africa played really well and deserved this victory. We were looking to get on the field today, try and do something special, 122 to get, the pitch was playing up and down, we had a good chance, but their batters played really well. If I want to be harsh, the first innings total of 202 was at least 50-60 runs short, we should have scored more and put them under pressure. Shardul (Thakur) has been superb for us, has won us a lot of games, he bowled well in the first innings and gave us a chance today as well. They have been great players for us (on Pujara and Rahane), have always done the job for us over the years, have been under the pump recently, but we believe Pujara and Rahane are our best middle-order players, to go out there, bat in that mindset and play such an innings. It'll give them confidence and make them do even better in the next Test. Virat is already feeling better, he's been doing a bit of fielding and think he'll be fine. With Siraj, we need to monitor him in the nets. It's tough to come back immediately from a hamstring issue, but we do have a good bench strength in the form of Umesh and Ishant. We expected this when we came here, every Test will be competitive and challenging, we'll be more hungrier after this disappointing loss. Looking forward to Cape Town and the third Test.

Deepu's stat corner:
-> First defeat for India in six Tests at the Wanderers
-> First win in six Tests for South Africa against India

Highest successful 4th innings chases vs India
339 Aus Perth 1977/78
276 WI Delhi 1987/88
240 SA Johannesburg 2021/22*
213 NZ Wellington 1998/99
211 SA Cape Town 2006/07

Highest successful 4th innings chases by SA at home
335 vs Aus Durban 2001/02
284 vs Eng Old Wanderers 1905/06
240 vs Ind Johannesburg 2021/22*
236 vs Aus Cape Town 2011/12 

Highest individal scores by SA captain vs India
118 K Wessels Durban 1992/93
96* D Elgar Joburg 2021/22
95* K Wessels Joburg 1992/93
94  G Smith Cape Town 2006/07

Best figures for an Indian seamer in a Test defeat
9/83 Kapil Dev v WI Ahmedabad 1983/84
8/86 J Srinath v Pak Kolkata 1998/99
7/61 S Thakur v SA Joburg 2021/22*

India did have the misfortune of losing Mohammad Siraj to what looks like a hamstring pull, he did bowl a few overs after the injury, but never looked comfortable. But still, at 155 for 2 in their second dig, India looked in some control, only for Rabada to have his say. His three-wicket burst stunted India's lead and though Hanuma Vihari managed a composed unbeaten 40, a target of 240 - although fairly big, wasn't as big as it could have been. For once, India's pacers failed to fire in the fourth innings chase - Yes, there were the occassional unplayable stuff, but they weren't too consistent or a tad impatient. Runs flowed even as Elgar gritted it out - he was involved in sizeable stands with each and every batter, and the 7-wicket victory is just the icing on the cake. 240 is also South Africa's highest fourth innings successful chase, and it couldn't have at a more important time.

17:53 Local Time, 15:53 GMT, 21:23 IST: A bit of on-field celebrations, but nothing more as the players shake hands. Both teams know that the series is wide open and it's a winner takes all battle at Cape Town. Mark Boucher looks thrilled in the dressing room, Rahul Dravid looks stoic - a tale of two coaches, but no one can deny South Africa their moment. They made the bold moves, they went ahead with their plans and they took full advantage of India's lacklustre efforts at times. India don't need to go too much back if they're to analyze this loss - they were without Virat Kohli, but they won the toss, opted to bat first and then didn't show the necessary fight. Only Rahul and Ashwin showed some spark, and the stand-in captain made a fifty, but he'll be the first to admit he should have got more. Jansen bounced out the Indians for 202. The bowlers then sniffed India back in play, but there was another crucial moment when Pant put down Keegan Petersen early. The diminutive number three made a fine 61 and helped his team inch past India, but not by many, 27 to be exact.

Ashwin to Elgar, FOUR, there it is, South Africa win - they go to CT with the series level 1-1. They have beaten India for the first time in a Test at the Bull Ring - a squel of delight from Elgar as he shovelled Ashwin past mid-wicket, he wasn't running, there was no need to run either. A captain's effort as he carries his team past the winning post

Ashwin to Elgar, no run, loopy delivery wide of off, driven back at the bowler

Ashwin to Bavuma, 1 run, tossed up from round the wicket, nudged in front of square on the on-side and Bavuma lets his captain have the chance to hit the winning runs

Ashwin to Elgar, 1 run, slower and wider of off, slapped square on the off-side for a single

Thakur to Bavuma, 2 runs, length ball at the stumps, worked past square leg and they're back for the second - this means Elgar will not get a hundred, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be one bit disappointed at that

Thakur to Bavuma, FOUR, cracking shot, banged in short and at the stumps, Bavuma swivels across and then pulls it over square leg, couple of bounces and over the ropes

Thakur to Bavuma, no run, on a good length and just outside off, Bavuma slices the drive to backward point

Bavuma pulls out once again at the last moment, Shardul is a defeated man, simply turns around and goes back

Thakur to Bavuma, no run, tad fuller and just outside off, defended to the off-side

Thakur to Bavuma, no run, on a good length and well wide of off, left alone

Bavuma pulls out at the last moment and Shardul isn't one bit impressed, has a word with the batter before going back to his mark-up

Thakur to Elgar, 1 run, on a good length and at the stumps, nudged wide of mid-wicket for a single

Shardul Thakur [15.0-2-40-1] is back into the attack

Harsha Bhogle: One innings where the bowlers are off-colour and India suddenly look a lesser team. Shows how much they have carried the team through 2021.

Ashwin to Bavuma, no run, flighted from round the wicket, Bavuma presses forward and defends it to the off-side