Lungi Ngidi makes immediate impact on Test debut

Lungi Ngidi made an immediate impact on his Test debut on Sunday though it wasn’t actually with the ball.

The 21-year-old Titans star is a strapping fast bowler but it was his fielding that caught the eye during the second day of the second Test against India in Centurion.

He affected the brilliant run out of Cheteshwar Pujara in an early glimpse of his athleticism.

Pujara played to mid-on, where Ngidi made a quick dive and hit the stumps on the bounce.

It was a fine piece of skill.

That piece of fielding threatened to derail the Indian batting again after Morne Morkel (1/24) skillfully hung on for a return catch off KL Rahul, leaving the visitors 28/2.

Ngidi did impress with his pace when he was eventually brought on and his length did create one or two awkward moments for India captain Virat Kohli.

He conceded just six runs from his four overs.

Yet in between he and Murali Vijay calmly exploited some mediocre bowling to share a third wicket stand of 52 as India reached 80/2 at tea.

Earlier, the Proteas made a competitve 335.

At the heart of that effort was skipper Faf du Plessis, who marshalled the lower order well in compiling a gritty 63.

He managed to strike a good balance between protecting the tail and trusting them to hold the Indian attack at bay.

But that shouldn’t detract from some of the stroke-play he dished up.

There was a beautiful punched off-drive down the ground early in the day off seamer Mohammed Shami (1/58), while Du Plessis also tried not to get too bogged down by the strangling spin of Ravi Ashwin (4/113), who was twice swept aggressively for boundaries with some pinpoint placement.

Keshav Maharaj (18) set the tone for the Proteas’ defiance, competently handling the bowlers again before Shami’s patience outside off-stump was rewarded with an edge.

It was the 27-year-old’s 100th Test wicket.

Kagiso Rabada’s (11) stay was a bit more frustrating for visitors.

He was beaten quite a few times outside off and survived two chance off consecutive deliveries.

First, Ashwin’s delivery had Rabada rooted to the crease but Virat Kohli couldn’t hold on to a thick edge that was dipping on him.

India then ventured into the Proteas’ comical territory.

Going the aggressive route, Rabada never got to the pitch of the next ball and sliced a regulation catch to Hardik Pandya at point.

But Shami came running in from third man and Pandya, wary of a collision, dropped the ball.

Rabada eventually holed out from a poorly judged pull shot before the impressive Ishant Sharma (3/46) rocked Du Plessis’ defences with a rocket of an inswinger.

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