Visakhapatnam: South African spinners did not bowl badly and it was just sheer brilliance of Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal that has taken the game away from the visitors, lead Proteas tweaker Keshav Maharaj said here on Thursday.
Left-arm spinner Maharaj (3/189 in 55 overs) bowled his heart out but did not get the support from the other end in Dane Piedt (107/1 in 19 overs) or debutant Senuran Muthusamy (63/1 in 15 lovers), who did take the prized wicket of Virat Kohli. “I wouldn’t say they bowled poorly. I personally judge if someone comes down the wicket and hits you, it’s not a bad ball. If you are getting hit from the crease, if you are getting cut, then it’s a different story,” said Maharaj, after day two of the first Test. “Piedt was unlucky. Mayank played superbly well and so did Rohit. Literally everything they wanted to do paid off, it was their day. I wouldn’t look too much if they bowled badly or anything. Sen is an all-rounder, a batting all-rounder, so his contribution in his first Test went pretty well, especially in tough conditions,” he said. India won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first. The hosts put up mammoth 502 for seven in their first innings. (PTI)
