India 5-255 (Virat Kohli 119, Ajinkya Rahane 43, Cheteshwar Pujara 25, Jacques Kallis 1-37) vs. South Africa
The top order star batsman of India, Virat Kohli, blasted his 5th Test century and lifted his side when the others found it hard to score vs. South Africa.
The visitors scored 255 runs for the loss of five wickets in 90 overs.
The first Test of the two match series commenced on Wednesday, December 18, 2013, at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg.
Earlier, the skipper of India, MS Dhoni, won the toss and elected to bat first on a nice looking batting strip. The decision proved fatal when the openers, Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan, were gone for just 24 runs. Virat Kohli along with Cheteshwar Pujara put their heads down, started the consolidation process and crept to 70 in 27 overs at lunch break. The first was the most attacking of the two, went past his fifty in the 39th one and they took the score to 113. The partnership was dislodged at that point since Pujara was unluckily run out for 25 and was replaced by Rohit Sharma.
The run rate was kept under check by the Proteas bowlers and the next wicket fell at 151 when Sharma departed for 14. Ajinkya Rahane walked in next and got off briskly by hitting 3 fours and tea was taken at 4-164 in 55 overs. Virat Kohli plundered his fifth Test hundred and became the 8th Indian to get three figures in South Africa. He was finally caught by Jean-Paul Duminy off Jacques Kallis for 119 off 181 balls comprising 18 fours. Rahane and MS Dhoni saw the day off at 43 and 17 as the visitors managed 255 runs after consuming 90 overs.
Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Jacques Kallis were the only successful bowlers with one wicket each.
The game is evenly poised at the moment and both sides will try to take supremacy in the first session of the second day.
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