India's Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are going through a lean patch in their careers. Both of them had a disappointing 2021 and their place in the team was questioned time and again.
However, some relief has come for the under-fire batters as they added crucial runs in the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg. Pujara and Rahane delivered in the second innings when the team lost early wickets while setting up a target.
While Pujara scored 53, Rahane made 58 and their 111-run stand for the third wicket helped India to set a target of 240 for the Proteas.
The half-centuries at the Wanderers seem to have given a lifeline to their careers, but former cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar feels Pujara and Rahane owed more to the Indian team.
"You have to look at the innings of Pujara and Rahane slightly differently because these are guys who owed runs and they got fifties which is great, back in form, good enough to keep places in the side. But guys with that kind of experience, just like Dean Elgar, could they not have gone on to get a bigger score? An 80 or a 90 or a 100 because that's what they owed the Indian team and then the target would have been beyond the reach of the South Africans," Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.
Chasing the target, South Africa rode on skipper Dean Elgar’s unbeaten 96 and Rassie van der Dussen’s 40 to get over the line with seven wickets in hand in the final session on Day 4 after the first and second sessions were washed out due to rain.
According to Manjrekar, rain in the first two sessions proved to be advantageous for the hosts.
"That's one way to look at it but yes the pitch played a little better in the sense that because of the rain, every time the ball didn't kick, it was coming onto the bat nicely and going off the bat nicely as well. So batting became a little easier because of the rain," he opined.
With this victory, South Africa levelled the series 1-1 and the third and final Test will be played in Cape Town from January 11.
