Elgar Scores Century to Propel South Africa into the Lead in Centurion

In an impressive display of batting prowess, Dean Elgar notched up his maiden century at Centurion, his home ground, on the second day of the test match against India. Elgar's phenomenal innings paved the way for South Africa to take an 11-run lead over their opponents, with just five wickets down. Unfortunately, play was cut short due to bad light, adding to the drama of the day.

The morning began on a positive note for India as KL Rahul continued to add valuable runs alongside the tailenders, eventually reaching his century. However, his celebrations were short-lived as debutant Nandre Burger clean bowled him, claiming three wickets in his first outing. Despite that, India managed to post a decent total of 245 on a challenging pitch.

India made an early breakthrough when Mohammed Siraj dismissed Aiden Markram for a mere 5 runs. Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj bowled with precision, making it difficult for the South African batsmen to score freely. Yet, Elgar and Tony de Zorzi displayed resilience and steered the team to Lunch at 49 for 1.

After the break, Elgar shifted gears and adopted a more aggressive approach, capitalizing on the slightly eased pitch conditions. Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna, the change bowlers for India, struggled to maintain their lines and lengths, allowing Elgar and Zorzi to form a solid partnership of 93 runs. However, Bumrah returned for his second spell and quickly dismantled South Africa's top order, removing Zorzi and Petersen in quick succession.

Elgar then found a stable partner in David Bedingham, and together they settled in to exploit the older ball and a wayward Indian pace attack. Both batsmen bravely took on the short deliveries, a strategy that did not pay off for the Indian bowlers. In fact, Bedingham launched two sixes off the bowling of Shardul and Prasidh en route to his well-deserved half-century. Elgar, too, played his shots and reached his 14th Test century, becoming the fourth fastest South African to achieve the milestone, with a powerful pull shot off Shardul.

The duo maintained a healthy scoring rate and brought up a century stand shortly after Tea, extending it to 131 runs. However, South Africa suffered a setback as Bedingham, struggling against Siraj's pace, had his stumps disturbed. Prasidh, who troubled the South African batsmen with his late movement, claimed another wicket when he induced an edge from Verreynne, the decision being overturned after India's successful review. Despite getting hit on the fingers, Elgar batted resolutely and remained unbeaten on 140 at Stumps, accompanied by Marco Jansen.

With South Africa firmly in the lead, the team is well-positioned to continue their dominance in the upcoming day of the test match. Elgar's exceptional century has given the hosts a valuable advantage and sets the stage for an exciting battle at Centurion.