India Tour of South Africa: Elgar’s gutsy 96 not out helps South Africa chase down 240 on a tricky pitch to level series with India 1-1

India’s proud and unique record of never having lost at the Wanderers in Johannesburg was defiantly pried away by a South African team that roared back into the series, levelling it 1-1.

On the fourth day, a steady drizzle threatened to wash out proceedings entirely.

But, as if following the instructions of the weatherman like an obedient student, the rain ceased when predicted and play began at 3.45pm, with 34 possible overs in hand.

At that stage it seemed like neither team would be able to force a result and that the game would slide gently into the fifth day.

With lights on and the sky overcast, there was every reason to believe that India’s fast bowlers would get plenty of assistance.

But, a new South African team came out to bat, one that we have not had a glimpse of all series so far.

Dean Elgar was his usual self, the immovable object to India’s irresistible force.

But the real revelation was Rassie van der Dussen. He has looked short of confidence and experts had picked out holes in his technique after the first Test.

But van der Dussen showed why he is rated so highly in this country.

The manner in which he leaned into a cover drive, transferred his weight forward perfectly, and placed the ball past the fielder was a shot of such beauty you could make a bronze statue out of it and admire from a distance.

A full ball from Shami, drifting onto pad was deftly clipped to the square-leg fence, and when the miffed bowler dug the ball in short next up, van der Dussen was quick to pounce, pulling front of square off the front foot.

As if to remind viewers that he could take on all the bowlers, van der Dussen then extended himself fully to a rising ball from Shardul Thakur, his toes leaving the ground as he punched through cover for another boundary.

The day began with South Africa needing 122, having had to grind hard for 118. van der Dussen decided that this was not a day for hanging around. When he fell on 40 — an innings worth far more than that, given the occasion and the challenge before him — van der Dussen had taken South Africa to a position of strength.

The pressure on Elgar, who often cuts an Atlasesque figure, bearing the burden of South Africa’s expectations on his pugilist’s shoulders, was eased considerably the knock van der Dussen had played.

India fought, but in their hearts, they knew that they just did not have enough runs to play with against a team that batted with the belief that they could win, rather than merely trying to survive.

Elgar found an able ally in Temba Bavuma, and for once it did not matter that this was a batsman who struggled to convert fifties into big scores.

With victory beckoning, Elgar shed his worries, gilding the ball, carving it and even ramping to the third man fence.

Elgar, unbeaten on 96, probably the most significant innings of his career, took his team home with seven wickets to spare.

It was a baptism by fire for KL Rahul as captain, and he will cop some flak for some of the decisions he made on the field. But, the truth was that India were just outplayed by a South African team that had regained their fierce pride of playing at home.

This was South Africa’s highest successful chase at Centurion and their sixth-best of all time.

This was not the time to be pointing fingers at India, but to concede that one team had played superior cricket, and give them their moment in the sun.

BRIEF SCORES

India 202 (Rahul 50, Ashwin 46; Jansen 4/31, Rabada 3/64, Olivier 3/64) and 266 (Rahane 58, Pujara 53, Vihari 40*; Ngidi 3/43, Jansen 3/67, Rabada 3/77) lost to South Africa 229 (Petersen 62, Bavuma 51; Thakur 7/61) and 243/3 (Elgar 96*, van der Dussen 40) by 7 wickets