Ranchi: South African pacer Anrich Nortje on Saturday rued letting India off the hook after reducing them to 39 for three on the opening day of the third and final Test here.
Hoping to avoid a 3-0 whitewash, South African bowlers gave a good account of themselves by taking three wickets quickly, but Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane shared an unbeaten 185-run partnership to take India to 224/3 in 58 overs when bad weather forced an early stumps. Rohit slammed his third century of the series after he successfully reviewed an LBW decision before getting a reprieve on 28 when Zubayr Hamza dropped a difficult chance. “We were definitely better as in the previous Test. We just tried to control the game little bit better. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get another wicket… It would have been nice to have them four-five down,” Nortje said after the first day’s play. “We had one or two overs where we went on top, later on we just pulled it back again. So, maybe, here and there we lost but, in general, a good effort by everyone. “Overall, it was a good effort by the bowlers. There was little bit in it this morning, tried to utilise as much but one or two overs didn’t go our way.” Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the attack with 2/54 in 14 overs, while Nortje (1/50 from 16 overs) picked up the wicket of India skipper Virat Kohli. “I was hoping for a wicket somewhere and to get him was unbelievable.” Said Nortje (PTI)
