Young pace sensation Umran Malik's scorching final over proved to be the difference as Sunrisers Hyderabad slayed Punjab Kings by seven wickets for their fourth successive win in the Indian Premier League here on Sunday.

In top gear with Liam Livingstone's counter-attacking 60 off 30 balls (5x4, 4x6), PBKS lost five wickets in seven balls with Malik (4/28) producing a perfect final over -- a rare four-wicket maiden -- to skittle out the opposition for a below-par 151.

After Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/22) provided the key breakthrough of Livingstone, the 22-year-old uncapped pacer picked three wickets while the fourth came via run-out to derail PBKS. In reply, Sunrisers Hyderabad did not have a perfect start and lost skipper Kane Williamson (3) early in the fourth over with Kagiso Rabada drawing the first blood.

Opener Abhishek Sharma (31 off 25 balls; 3x4, 1x6) and in-form Rahul Tripathi (34 from 22b; 4x4, 1x6) failed to convert their starts but the modest total meant that SRH did not have to worry much in the end.

Windies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran (41 not out from 27b; 4X4, 1x6) and Aiden Markram (35 not out from 30b; 1x4, 1x6) then completed the formalities with an unbroken 75-run partnership from 50 balls.

Playing without their regular skipper Mayank Agarwal, who suffered a toe-injury during training, PBKS were also let down with their sloppy fielding as they missed a runout and conceded easy runs defending a small total.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-ceo-opens-up-about-deepak-chahars-potential-replacements-after-pacer-gets-ruled-out-of-ipl-2022-471663">CSK CEO opens up about Deepak Chahar's potential replacements after pacer gets ruled out of IPL 2022</a>

Markram finished off the chase in the penultimate over hitting Vaibhav Arora for consecutive boundaries and six to seal the issue with seven balls to spare.

The win took SRH to eight points, moving up from the middle-table rush to climb to the fourth spot, while PBKS remained on seventh with six points from as many matches.

Earlier Livingstone, who was the most expensive overseas player in this season's IPL auction with a price tag of Rs 11.50-crore, resurrected the PBKS innings with a counter-attacking 60 off 30 balls (5x4, 4x6) -- his third fifty in four matches.

Reduced to 61/4 inside eight overs after being put in, Livingstone found a perfect ally in No 6 batter Shahrukh Khan (26 off 28 balls; 1x4, 2x6) as the duo stitched together 71 from 49 balls to revive them in the middle overs.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/umran-malik-picks-up-3-wickets-in-20th-over-against-pbks-becomes-4th-bowler-to-achieve-rare-ipl-feat-471684">Umran Malik picks up 3 wickets in 20th over against PBKS, becomes 4th bowler to achieve rare IPL feat</a>

On a slow pitch where scoring was difficult early on, Livingstone did not have any trouble as he had shots all over the pitch. But the momentum shifted heavily in favour of SRH after Bhuvneshwar (3/22) provided the key breakthrough of Livingstone as PBKS lost five wickets in seven balls with Malik (4/28) producing a perfect final over.

Malik first had Odean Smith with a slower one before castling Rahul Chahar and Vaibhav Arora in successive deliveries. Punjab without their skipper and opener Mayank Agarwal had an anxious start and lost two wickets inside five overs including that of stand-in captain Shikhar Dhawan (8).

Punjab kept losing wickets and were soon reduced to 33/2 inside five overs when Livingstone came in to take charge of the proceedings. There were more to follow as Jonny Bairstow (12) and Jitesh Sharma (11) departed in successive overs but Livingstone and Shahrukh held on to turn it around in the middle overs.&nbsp;

Young pace sensation Umran Malik's scorching final over proved to be the difference as Sunrisers Hyderabad slayed Punjab Kings by seven wickets for their fourth successive win in the Indian Premier League here on Sunday.

Young pace sensation Umran Malik's scorching final over proved to be the difference as Sunrisers Hyderabad slayed Punjab Kings by seven wickets for their fourth successive win in the Indian Premier League here on Sunday. In top gear with Liam Livingstone's counter-attacking 60 off 30 balls (5x4, 4x6), PBKS lost five wickets in seven balls with Malik (4/28) producing a perfect final over -- a rare four-wicket maiden -- to skittle out the opposition for a below-par 151. After Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/22) provided the key breakthrough of Livingstone, the 22-year-old uncapped pacer picked three wickets while the fourth came via run-out to derail PBKS. In reply, Sunrisers Hyderabad did not have a perfect start and lost skipper Kane Williamson (3) early in the fourth over with Kagiso Rabada drawing the first blood. Opener Abhishek Sharma (31 off 25 balls; 3x4, 1x6) and in-form Rahul Tripathi (34 from 22b; 4x4, 1x6) failed to convert their starts but the modest total meant that SRH did not have to worry much in the end. Windies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran (41 not out from 27b; 4X4, 1x6) and Aiden Markram (35 not out from 30b; 1x4, 1x6) then completed the formalities with an unbroken 75-run partnership from 50 balls. Playing without their regular skipper Mayank Agarwal, who suffered a toe-injury during training, PBKS were also let down with their sloppy fielding as they missed a runout and conceded easy runs defending a small total. Also Read: CSK CEO opens up about Deepak Chahar's potential replacements after pacer gets ruled out of IPL 2022 Markram finished off the chase in the penultimate over hitting Vaibhav Arora for consecutive boundaries and six to seal the issue with seven balls to spare. The win took SRH to eight points, moving up from the middle-table rush to climb to the fourth spot, while PBKS remained on seventh with six points from as many matches. Earlier Livingstone, who was the most expensive overseas player in this season's IPL auction with a price tag of Rs 11.50-crore, resurrected the PBKS innings with a counter-attacking 60 off 30 balls (5x4, 4x6) -- his third fifty in four matches. Reduced to 61/4 inside eight overs after being put in, Livingstone found a perfect ally in No 6 batter Shahrukh Khan (26 off 28 balls; 1x4, 2x6) as the duo stitched together 71 from 49 balls to revive them in the middle overs. Also Read: Umran Malik picks up 3 wickets in 20th over against PBKS, becomes 4th bowler to achieve rare IPL feat On a slow pitch where scoring was difficult early on, Livingstone did not have any trouble as he had shots all over the pitch. But the momentum shifted heavily in favour of SRH after Bhuvneshwar (3/22) provided the key breakthrough of Livingstone as PBKS lost five wickets in seven balls with Malik (4/28) producing a perfect final over. Malik first had Odean Smith with a slower one before castling Rahul Chahar and Vaibhav Arora in successive deliveries. Punjab without their skipper and opener Mayank Agarwal had an anxious start and lost two wickets inside five overs including that of stand-in captain Shikhar Dhawan (8). Punjab kept losing wickets and were soon reduced to 33/2 inside five overs when Livingstone came in to take charge of the proceedings. There were more to follow as Jonny Bairstow (12) and Jitesh Sharma (11) departed in successive overs but Livingstone and Shahrukh held on to turn it around in the middle overs.

IPL 2022: Malik, Markram star as SRH thrash Punjab Kings by 7 wickets to bag 4th win on the trot

Disciplined bowling and a quickfire 48 by Aiden Markram helped South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 28 runs in the first Twenty20 international on Friday.

Markram's 33-ball knock guided South Africa to 163-5, a total they defended by restricting Sri Lanka to 135-6 to lead the three-match series 1-0 in Colombo.

Skipper and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj led the bowling with impressive figures of 1-19 on his T20 debut to flatten the Sri Lankan batting despite a career-best unbeaten 66 by Dinesh Chandimal.

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Markram set up victory with his attacking innings laced with one four and two sixes to add to the South African total after they elected to bat first.

Openers Quinton de Kock (36) and Reeza Hendricks (38) set the tone with a stand of 73 before losing their wickets to leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.

Markram put on 65 runs off 35 balls for the fourth wicket with David Miller, who hit 26 off 15 deliveries, to take the attack to the opposition bowlers.

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Sri Lankan skipper and medium-pace bowler Dasun Shanaka broke the partnership with Markram's wicket in the penultimate over to check the South African surge.

Sri Lanka lost wickets at regular intervals in their chase with Avishka Fernando run out for 11 and Maharaj getting Bhanuka Rajapaksa out lbw for nought.

Chandimal then played a valiant innings to record his sixth T20 half-century and surpass his previous best of 58. He hit five fours and two sixes in his 54-ball knock.

The second match is on Sunday at the same venue.

Disciplined bowling and a quickfire 48 by Aiden Markram helped South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 28 runs in the first Twenty20 international on Friday. Markram's 33-ball knock guided South Africa to 163-5, a total they defended by restricting Sri Lanka to 135-6 to lead the three-match series 1-0 in Colombo.

Disciplined bowling and a quickfire 48 by Aiden Markram helped South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 28 runs in the first Twenty20 international on Friday. Markram's 33-ball knock guided South Africa to 163-5, a total they defended by restricting Sri Lanka to 135-6 to lead the three-match series 1-0 in Colombo. Skipper and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj led the bowling with impressive figures of 1-19 on his T20 debut to flatten the Sri Lankan batting despite a career-best unbeaten 66 by Dinesh Chandimal. ALSO READ | 'Do not isolate us': Afghanistan cricket board urges to keep game 'out of politics' Markram set up victory with his attacking innings laced with one four and two sixes to add to the South African total after they elected to bat first. Openers Quinton de Kock (36) and Reeza Hendricks (38) set the tone with a stand of 73 before losing their wickets to leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga. Markram put on 65 runs off 35 balls for the fourth wicket with David Miller, who hit 26 off 15 deliveries, to take the attack to the opposition bowlers. South Africa take 1-0 series lead 👏 A disciplined effort helps them to a 28-run victory in the first T20I in Colombo. #SLvSA | https://t.co/x51ZP0c9Os pic.twitter.com/Vvn4kbN69G — ICC (@ICC) September 10, 2021 × Sri Lankan skipper and medium-pace bowler Dasun Shanaka broke the partnership with Markram's wicket in the penultimate over to check the South African surge. Sri Lanka lost wickets at regular intervals in their chase with Avishka Fernando run out for 11 and Maharaj getting Bhanuka Rajapaksa out lbw for nought. Chandimal then played a valiant innings to record his sixth T20 half-century and surpass his previous best of 58. He hit five fours and two sixes in his 54-ball knock. The second match is on Sunday at the same venue.

Aiden Markram, bowlers help South Africa down Sri Lanka in T20 opener

Aiden Markram on Friday smashed an unbeaten ton as South Africa took the morning honours against a changed Australia.

The Proteas were 88 for one at lunch on the opening day of the fourth and final test.&nbsp;

Australia, reeling from their ball-tampering scandal and led by new captain Tim Paine, made four changes, including a debut for seamer Chadd Sayers.

Markram (53) and Hashim Amla (13) at lunch, will look to set up a &nbsp;sizeable total on a wicket that is already taking turn and showing widening cracks as they seek a first home series win over Australia in almost 50 years.

Dean Elgar (19) was the only success for the labouring touring side, and his mode of dismissal was a familiar one, the third time in the series he was caught off a leading edge from the bowling of Nathan Lyon.

The spinner had taken the first two catches himself, but this time the ball was snatched at mid-off by Sayers.

Steve Smith, his deputy David Warner and opener Cameron Bancroft were handed heavy bans and sent home for a ball-tampering plot in the third test in Cape Town.

The trio have been replaced in the side by Joe Burns, Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscombe, while Paine captains the side for the first time.&nbsp;

Fast bowler Mitchell Starc has a fracture in his leg and was replaced by Sayers.

South Africa, 2-1 up in the series, are unchanged with fast bowler Morne Morkel playing his final test match before he retires from international cricket.&nbsp;

Aiden Markram on Friday smashed an unbeaten ton as South Africa took the morning honours against a changed Australia. The Proteas were 88 for one at lunch on the opening day of the fourth and final test. Australia, reeling from their ball-tampering scandal and led by new captain Tim Paine, made four changes, including a debut for seamer Chadd Sayers. Markram (53) and Hashim Amla (13) at lunch, will look to set up a sizeable total on a wicket that is already taking turn and showing widening cracks as they seek a first home series win over Australia in almost 50 years. Dean Elgar (19) was the only success for the labouring touring side, and his mode of dismissal was a familiar one, the third time in the series he was caught off a leading edge from the bowling of Nathan Lyon. The spinner had taken the first two catches himself, but this time the ball was snatched at mid-off by Sayers. Steve Smith, his deputy David Warner and opener Cameron Bancroft were handed heavy bans and sent home for a ball-tampering plot in the third test in Cape Town. The trio have been replaced in the side by Joe Burns, Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscombe, while Paine captains the side for the first time. Fast bowler Mitchell Starc has a fracture in his leg and was replaced by Sayers. South Africa, 2-1 up in the series, are unchanged with fast bowler Morne Morkel playing his final test match before he retires from international cricket.

4th Test: Aiden Markram's century dominates Australia

South Africa lost opener Dean Elgar before lunch but continued to drive home their advantage on the third day of the third Test against Australia on Saturday.

The hosts reached the interval on 65 for one in their second innings, a lead of 121.

After Elgar departed, Aiden Markram, 36, and Hashim Amla, 15, put on a patient partnership of 37 runs for the second wicket in gloomy conditions, and the pair will look to solidify South Africa&#39;s dominant position following the break.

Elgar, who carried his bat for an unbeaten 141 in the first innings, could not repeat that feat as he edged seamer Pat Cummins to Steve Smith at slip for 14.

Setting a target of anything over 250 will be a challenge for the Australians, though they did successfully chase down 331 at Newlands in 2002, but on a much more placid surface and with a more experienced top seven.

South Africa had earlier wrapped up Australia&#39;s first innings when Kagiso Rabada (4-91) had final man Josh Hazlewood (10) caught by Hashim Amla at first slip.&nbsp;

The four-match series is poised at 1-1, with the final Test to be played in Johannesburg starting on Friday.

The hosts reached the interval on 65 for one in their second innings, a lead of 121

South Africa lost opener Dean Elgar before lunch but continued to drive home their advantage on the third day of the third Test against Australia on Saturday. The hosts reached the interval on 65 for one in their second innings, a lead of 121. After Elgar departed, Aiden Markram, 36, and Hashim Amla, 15, put on a patient partnership of 37 runs for the second wicket in gloomy conditions, and the pair will look to solidify South Africa's dominant position following the break. Elgar, who carried his bat for an unbeaten 141 in the first innings, could not repeat that feat as he edged seamer Pat Cummins to Steve Smith at slip for 14. Setting a target of anything over 250 will be a challenge for the Australians, though they did successfully chase down 331 at Newlands in 2002, but on a much more placid surface and with a more experienced top seven. South Africa had earlier wrapped up Australia's first innings when Kagiso Rabada (4-91) had final man Josh Hazlewood (10) caught by Hashim Amla at first slip. The four-match series is poised at 1-1, with the final Test to be played in Johannesburg starting on Friday.

3rd Test: South Africa extend advantage despite loss of Elgar

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-the-reasons-behind-indias-historic-victory-692">India won the 6th ODI</a> as well as the series against South Africa at SuperSport Park, Centurion on Friday.

Virat Kohli slammed 35th century to lead the team to a historic win on the South African soil.

For his splendid performance throughout the series captain, Kohli awarded Man of the series and also Man of the match for an amazing knock in the final ODI.

A quite brilliant unbeaten <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/best-batsman-in-the-world-now-says-ravi-shastri-for-virat-kohli-33154">129 from skipper Virat Kohli</a> helped India cruise to an eight-wicket win.

But for South Africa captain Aiden Markram, leading his side for the first time in a series, it was a chastening experience - and he admitted that his players have plenty of learning to do ahead of the World Cup next year in England.

After losing the sixth and final ODI match he said in the post-match&nbsp;interview that the experience has been &#39;eye-opening&#39; he further added, &quot;The confidence of the side has definitely taken a knock, yes. It&#39;s never nice to lose 5-1 but we have learned lessons.&quot;

&quot;A lot of those lessons have been taught to us by how the Indians have constructed their games.&quot;

&quot;And then their bowlers, they control that middle period really well, they&#39;ve got two quality spinners and they strike up front with the new ball,&quot; South African skipper said while praising Indian bowling side.

He amplified the performance of Indian skipper <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-gives-credit-to-wife-anushka-for-his-performance-33118">Virat Kohli</a> and said, &quot;Virat&#39;s desperation to win games for his side is massive and that&#39;s why he condones (conducts) himself like he does and it&#39;s all from a competitive point of view, it&#39;s nothing malicious.

So there&#39;s a lot of things I can learn from him, there&#39;s a lot of things I can learn from their team as a whole and there&#39;s a lot of things I can learn from us as a whole, the Proteas as a whole. So taking&nbsp;little pieces here and there, from various players is helping.&quot;

South Africa captain Aiden Markram admitted that his players have plenty of learning to do ahead of the World Cup next year in England

India won the 6th ODI as well as the series against South Africa at SuperSport Park, Centurion on Friday. Virat Kohli slammed 35th century to lead the team to a historic win on the South African soil. For his splendid performance throughout the series captain, Kohli awarded Man of the series and also Man of the match for an amazing knock in the final ODI. A quite brilliant unbeaten 129 from skipper Virat Kohli helped India cruise to an eight-wicket win. But for South Africa captain Aiden Markram, leading his side for the first time in a series, it was a chastening experience - and he admitted that his players have plenty of learning to do ahead of the World Cup next year in England. After losing the sixth and final ODI match he said in the post-match interview that the experience has been 'eye-opening' he further added, "The confidence of the side has definitely taken a knock, yes. It's never nice to lose 5-1 but we have learned lessons." "A lot of those lessons have been taught to us by how the Indians have constructed their games." "And then their bowlers, they control that middle period really well, they've got two quality spinners and they strike up front with the new ball," South African skipper said while praising Indian bowling side. He amplified the performance of Indian skipper Virat Kohli and said, "Virat's desperation to win games for his side is massive and that's why he condones (conducts) himself like he does and it's all from a competitive point of view, it's nothing malicious. So there's a lot of things I can learn from him, there's a lot of things I can learn from their team as a whole and there's a lot of things I can learn from us as a whole, the Proteas as a whole. So taking little pieces here and there, from various players is helping."

'Virat's desperation to win games for his side is massive,' says Aiden Markram

Having suffered a huge setback due to regular skipper Faf du Plessis&#39; injury, the Cricket South Africa today named 23-year-old batsman Aiden Markram as skipper for the remainder of the five-match ODI series against India.

Du Plessis fractured his right index finger during the first ODI in Durban that India won by six wicket despite his century.

Markram has only featured in two ODIs so far, making his debut against Bangladesh in October 2017. He has also played 6 Tests.

He led South Africa to Under-19 World Cup triumph in 2014 and has been widely regarded as a future captain. However, Du Plessis&#39; unfortunate injury prompted selectors to fast-track Markram to the hot-seat.

&quot;It wasn&#39;t a hard decision. Rather, it was an easy decision. If AB de Villiers was around, and other senior players as well, we would have probably looked at different options,&quot; said Linda Zondi, convenor and head of the Cricket South Africa selection panel.

&quot;But at the moment, with both our former captains not around, it was an ideal opportunity for us that here is Markram, let?s see what he can offer. We are confident. He wants to do it as well. It just gives us an opportunity to open it up and see what he can offer,&quot; Zondi added.

&quot;We are aware that Markram is new to our set-up. Part of our Vision 2019 plan is to build a pool of leaders within the set-up. I think Markram has always been in our plans since he was Under-19 captain, leading up to South Africa A, and now joining the Proteas,&quot; the convenor further added.

He admitted that Markram will be under a lot of pressure.

&quot;It has been a journey. Yes there will be pressure in terms of understanding his role and also being able to perform as a player. For us, we want to see if he can handle pressure because part of leadership is to be able to adjust and perform under pressure. We hope he has the right skill and the right capability to do so,&quot; he added.

There has been no announcement on the captain for the ensuing three T20Is series though. Du Plessis is ruled out for that contest as well.

&quot;At the moment, we don&#39;t want to make any commitment. I think our primary focus for now is this ODI series. We do have a captain in Faf. Markram is going to be stand-in captain for the remaining ODIs,&quot; Zondi concluded.&nbsp;

Du Plessis fractured his right index finger during the first ODI

Having suffered a huge setback due to regular skipper Faf du Plessis' injury, the Cricket South Africa today named 23-year-old batsman Aiden Markram as skipper for the remainder of the five-match ODI series against India. Du Plessis fractured his right index finger during the first ODI in Durban that India won by six wicket despite his century. Markram has only featured in two ODIs so far, making his debut against Bangladesh in October 2017. He has also played 6 Tests. He led South Africa to Under-19 World Cup triumph in 2014 and has been widely regarded as a future captain. However, Du Plessis' unfortunate injury prompted selectors to fast-track Markram to the hot-seat. "It wasn't a hard decision. Rather, it was an easy decision. If AB de Villiers was around, and other senior players as well, we would have probably looked at different options," said Linda Zondi, convenor and head of the Cricket South Africa selection panel. "But at the moment, with both our former captains not around, it was an ideal opportunity for us that here is Markram, let?s see what he can offer. We are confident. He wants to do it as well. It just gives us an opportunity to open it up and see what he can offer," Zondi added. "We are aware that Markram is new to our set-up. Part of our Vision 2019 plan is to build a pool of leaders within the set-up. I think Markram has always been in our plans since he was Under-19 captain, leading up to South Africa A, and now joining the Proteas," the convenor further added. He admitted that Markram will be under a lot of pressure. "It has been a journey. Yes there will be pressure in terms of understanding his role and also being able to perform as a player. For us, we want to see if he can handle pressure because part of leadership is to be able to adjust and perform under pressure. We hope he has the right skill and the right capability to do so," he added. There has been no announcement on the captain for the ensuing three T20Is series though. Du Plessis is ruled out for that contest as well. "At the moment, we don't want to make any commitment. I think our primary focus for now is this ODI series. We do have a captain in Faf. Markram is going to be stand-in captain for the remaining ODIs," Zondi concluded.

Faf du Plessis ruled out, Aiden Markram to lead South Africa in remaining five ODIs

Ravichandran Ashwin struck twice for team India to get rid of both the openers, who played brilliantly to make South Africa have upper hand on the opening day of the second Test match at Centurion on Saturday.

Ashwin, first, dismissed Dean Elgar at 31 after a stupendous effort from Vijay at silly point to take that catch and later went to remove&nbsp;Aiden Markram at 94.

Markram was given caught behind and had to depart just 6 runs short of a century.&nbsp;

Apart from Ashwin, no bowler has been able to take any wicket in the match so far.

South Africa&#39;s score stands at 172/2 after 53 overs with Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers on crease.&nbsp;

The Proteas were 78 for no loss at lunch after openers Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar had put on a spirited show.

The hosts, who lead the three-match series 1-0, chose to bat after winning the toss.

&nbsp;For India, the team management replaced wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha and opener Shikhar Dhawan with Parthiv Patel and KL Rahul, after they failed to play along with the bouncers and seaming conditions. &nbsp;

Markram was given caught behind and had to depart just 6 runs short of a century.

Ravichandran Ashwin struck twice for team India to get rid of both the openers, who played brilliantly to make South Africa have upper hand on the opening day of the second Test match at Centurion on Saturday. Ashwin, first, dismissed Dean Elgar at 31 after a stupendous effort from Vijay at silly point to take that catch and later went to remove Aiden Markram at 94. Markram was given caught behind and had to depart just 6 runs short of a century. Apart from Ashwin, no bowler has been able to take any wicket in the match so far. South Africa's score stands at 172/2 after 53 overs with Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers on crease. The Proteas were 78 for no loss at lunch after openers Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar had put on a spirited show. The hosts, who lead the three-match series 1-0, chose to bat after winning the toss. For India, the team management replaced wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha and opener Shikhar Dhawan with Parthiv Patel and KL Rahul, after they failed to play along with the bouncers and seaming conditions.

Ashwin removes Aiden Markram for 94, South Africa 172/2 after 53 overs

South Africa were 78 for no loss at lunch on the opening day of the second Test match against India at the Centurion at the SuperSport Park, Centurion on Saturday.

Openers Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar had put on a spirited show and are batting on 51 and 26 runs respectively.

The hosts, who lead the three-match series 1-0, elected to bat after winning the toss.

&quot;We are going to bat first again. It is usually very slow on day one and it takes to spin later on. The previous toss was touch and go but all the stats are in favour of the team batting first out here. The cracks could open up over the next few days and it could get difficult. It is still a big fight, two quality teams trying hard to win a Test match and we expect the same from India. There are a few things in the first Test we think we can improve upon. Lungi Ngidi is making his debut on his homeground. He&#39;s an exciting youngster and has a lot of pace and bounce. And that is the only change,&quot; the Proteas skipper said.

Meanwhile, Indian skipper Virat Kohli seems all prepared to give a tough challenge to the Proteas, especially after their loss in the first Test.

&quot;It is a no brainer. We would&#39;ve wanted to bat first as well. The pitch looks very different from what it looked a couple of days ago, all the grass has been taken off. It is more of a situation that&#39;s tricky out here, hopefully the bowlers will step up. Saha has a hammy niggle and we do not want to take a chance with him. KL Rahul comes in for Dhawan and Ishant comes in for Bhuvi to get some extra bounce,&quot; Kohli stated.&nbsp;

The Indian Team management dropped wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha and opener Shikhar Dhawan after they failed to play along with the bouncers and seaming conditions. &nbsp;

Openers Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar were batting on 51 and 26 runs respectively.

South Africa were 78 for no loss at lunch on the opening day of the second Test match against India at the Centurion at the SuperSport Park, Centurion on Saturday. Openers Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar had put on a spirited show and are batting on 51 and 26 runs respectively. The hosts, who lead the three-match series 1-0, elected to bat after winning the toss. "We are going to bat first again. It is usually very slow on day one and it takes to spin later on. The previous toss was touch and go but all the stats are in favour of the team batting first out here. The cracks could open up over the next few days and it could get difficult. It is still a big fight, two quality teams trying hard to win a Test match and we expect the same from India. There are a few things in the first Test we think we can improve upon. Lungi Ngidi is making his debut on his homeground. He's an exciting youngster and has a lot of pace and bounce. And that is the only change," the Proteas skipper said. Meanwhile, Indian skipper Virat Kohli seems all prepared to give a tough challenge to the Proteas, especially after their loss in the first Test. "It is a no brainer. We would've wanted to bat first as well. The pitch looks very different from what it looked a couple of days ago, all the grass has been taken off. It is more of a situation that's tricky out here, hopefully the bowlers will step up. Saha has a hammy niggle and we do not want to take a chance with him. KL Rahul comes in for Dhawan and Ishant comes in for Bhuvi to get some extra bounce," Kohli stated. The Indian Team management dropped wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha and opener Shikhar Dhawan after they failed to play along with the bouncers and seaming conditions.

2nd Test, Day 1: South Africa 78 for no loss at lunch

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