Pune: Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who braved a sore shoulder to top-score for South Africa with a gritty 72 on Day 3 of the second Test against India here on Saturday, said the Proteas must stay positive and try to put some pressure on India.
Ace India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked up four wickets to pour cold water on Maharaj’s career-best score as the visitors’ first innings folded for 275, still 326 runs behind India’s first innings tally of 601/5 declared. Maharaj batted brilliantly to justify his two centuries in first-class cricket as he joined hands with Vernon Philander (42 not out) for a gritty 109-run stand for the ninth wicket. The duo came together when the tourists were reeling at 162/8.Maharaj faced 132 balls and hit 12 fours in the course of his knock.
“It’s very sore (shoulder), I dived on it yesterday, lots of bruising. But hopefully, I will be fine going further into the series,” he said after the match. “Myself and Vernon (Philander) decided that trying to go to tea unscathed was the first target. I was a bit injudicious at times (being a lower order batsman), but he kept me in my mind and space and I managed to get some runs. (IANS)
