India defeat South Africa by 7 wickets in 2nd Test on 'crazy' Newlands pitch, draw 2-match series

Team India have defeated South Africa by 7 wickets in the 2nd Test to level the 2-match series 1-1. India were given a target of 79 runs by South Africa and they chased it down with ease. The ball on the Newlands pitch was bouncing unevenly and Indian batters adopted an aggressive approach to reach the target after dismissing SA for 176 runs. This is the first time India have drawn a Test series in South Africa since 2010.

3 things you need to know

• India chased down South Africa's target of 79 runs in 12 overs
• South Africa scores 176 runs in the second innings
• Aiden Markram hit a brilliant century for SA

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IND vs SA: Team India draws Test series against South Africa

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma adopted an aggressive approach in their run-chase. They reached 44 runs inside 5 overs and tried to win the match quickly as the pitch wasn't behaving normally. Jaiswal departed after scoring 28 runs off 23 balls and did his job. Shubman couldn't contribute much and Virat also departed after scoring 12 runs. Rohit and Shreyas Iyer finished off the chase inside 12 overs. 

India vs South Africa 2nd Test: Markram's century delayed the inevitable

Markram scored the most combative hundred of his career but a vintage Jasprit Bumrah morning spell kept India firmly on course for a series-levelling win against South Africa at lunch on day two of the second Test here on Thursday.

Markram threw caution to the wind as he smashed his way to 106 off just 103 balls, singlehandedly steering Proteas to 176 all out in 36.5 overs at stroke of lunch and leaving India with a victory target of 79 on a spicy pitch.

The match was almost certain to finish by tea time and possibly will be the shortest Test match (in terms of overs bowled).

The ball didn’t fly off the surface as much as it did on the opening day but with enough juice available to get movement off the surface, Bumrah (6/61 in 13.5 overs) from his back of length approach in the first essay reverted to a more traditional fuller length deliveries to set the alarm bells ringing for the Proteas.

This was his ninth five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

(with PTI inputs)