Cape Town Test Has Been a Fantastic Ad for Test cricket: Faf du Plessis : Cricket, News

Highlights

• 1

  SA were bowled out for 130 in their second innings to set a 208-run goal for IND

• 2

  Philander took to 42 as IND got bowled out to 135 within two sessions

• 3

  This is Philander’s fourth five-wicket haul at Newlands

The top of both sides was on screen in the very first Test between South Africa and India at Cape Town during the previous few days and Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis reckons the game was a wonderful ad for Test cricket.

It was anyone’s game if South Africa got bowled out for 130 in their second innings with 8 of the wickets falling at the morning on Day 4 to only 65 runs.

India needed 208 to win the game but the hosts made certain to make life hell for your visiting batsmen even if they were one bowler short as the great Dale Steyn was dominated out of this game having a heel injury.

Vernon Philander, the bowler that gets probably the best record at Newlands, continued his love affair with all the ground asserting a career-best 6 to 42 as India got bowled out to 135 in two sessions.

“There was that flow the whole time: India’s on top then South Africa’s on top, then they’re taking the game to us and we are carrying it straight back to them. As an ad for Test cricket, that’s as good as it gets,” Du Plessis said after the game.

Philander has an excellent record at his home ground in Cape Town at which he’s now maintained 47 wickets at an average of both 16.34 and a hit rate of 33.9, which is actually the 2nd greatest among fast bowlers that have obtained more than 40 wickets at a particular place. It was Philander’s fourth five-wicket haul at Newlands.

India staged a fightback of types if Ravichandran Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar acquired together for the eighth wicket as the duo added 49 runs and briefly kept living India’s opportunities but Philander made certain there weren’t any hiccups because he removed Ashwin, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah at the same around clinch a 72-run success for his side.

“There wasn’t any dull Test cricket, it was lots of activity. And that’s the reason why we loved this Test match. And even if we’d lost this game, we would have been quite disappointed but could have said how this game has been played was impressive,” Du Plessis added.

The series goes on to SuperSport Park in Centurion where Steyn gets the best record among fast bowlers. He’s taken 56 wickets at the ground at a mean of 17.12 and a hit rate of 30.3 which is the very best one among speedsters with more than 40 wickets at a place.

However, the Proteas will overlook the help of this amazing fast bowler in the remaining two games and have additional seamers Duanne Olivier and Lungi Ngidi to their group for the second Test against India which starts on Saturday.

source http://thesportsnewscentral.com/cape-town-test-has-been-a-fantastic-ad-for-test-cricket-faf-du-plessis-cricket-news/