India is playing South Africa in the 3rd and final Test at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg. With series already lost to South Africa, Team India must win this Test to avoid a clean sweep. Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara are battling it hard out on a green top wicket.
India made two changes in the team with Rahane coming in for Rohit and Bhuvneshwar Kumar coming in for R Ashwin. With a green pitch in sight, any captain winning the toss would have chosen to bowl first and take advantage of such a track; but surprisingly, Virat Kohli chose to show confidence on his brittle batting lineup and decided to bat first.
South Africa, too, chose to go into the third Test with 4 quicks and a fast bowling all-rounder in Andile Phehlukwayo and their bowlers were able to generate movement off the pitch and India lost their openers for cheap. Cheteshwar Pujara was struggling to put bat on ball and it seemed like he was troubled so much, that he couldn’t even edge the ball to get out.
Playing dot ball after dot ball, it took Pujara more than 50 balls to score his first runs off the bat. Twitter found that hilarious, apart from the crowd in Johannesburg and the Indian dressing room and tweetd about Pujara’s half century of balls before scoring a single run.
Here are some funny tweets:
Pujara loses virginity after 54 deliveries. My life was a bit like that. Was worth the wait though.
— Peter Lalor (@plalor) January 24, 2018
Most balls to get off the mark for India in Tests:
— Andrew Samson (@AWSStats) January 24, 2018
57 R Chauhan v SL Ahmedabad 1994
54 C Pujara today
World record: 80 balls J Murray Eng v Aus Sydney 1963
Off the mark, Itne mai Rohit 100 kr deta
— Sahil Mehan (@mehansahil) January 24, 2018
Pujara gets off the mark off 54th ball. Crowd roars. He acknowledges shyly but doesn’t raise his bat #SAvIND
— Anand Vasu (@anandvasu) January 24, 2018
Indian Media: Pujara takes a single in 54 balls, see how Taimur reacted. #SAvIND
— Silly Point ???? (@FarziCricketer) January 24, 2018
Loud cheer for Pujara.... almost as if he got a half-century already and not his first run. Good to see smiles in the Indian dressing room. He has left the ball well so far, despite being beaten at odd times. #SAvInd
— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula) January 24, 2018
Pujara is off the mark after 53 balls... #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/kPy2WwUiEB
— P₹akash $inha ???????? (@Predicto_Praky) January 24, 2018
What a magnificent run by Cheteshwar Pujara, we’ve been privileged to watch it! #SAvIND
— Sameer Allana (@HitmanCricket) January 24, 2018
Pujara. 0* off 51#FromYorkshire
— Fred Boycott (@FredBoycott) January 24, 2018
clearly pujara doesn't play for records #SAvIND
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) January 24, 2018