IND vs SA: Fans hopeful of 'redemption' from Rahane & Pujara as duo enters Day 3 unbeaten

Team India was in for a short-lived scare at the onset of the second Test match against South Africa in Johannesburg considering they were restricted to a defendable total of 202 in the first innings. Amongst all other factors, a dampened display from the batting department was met with considerable criticism on social media with Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, India's trump cards when it comes to Test format, on the receiving end for most of it. Pujara was dismissed for a single-digit score of 3 whereas Rahane returned to the pavilion having scored nothing.

However, all thanks to a spectacular bowling showdown from Shardul Thakur that involved a 7-wicket haul, the Indian fans let out a sigh of relief as the Proteas' chasing game was confined to 229. Adding to the excitement, as Team India returned for their second innings, it was Pujara and Rahane, who met with much ridicule earlier in the match for a poor batting show ended up exuding hopes for a respectable total for the Indian side.

As India halted their innings at the end of Day 2, both Pujara and Rahane were at the crease, unbeaten at 35 and 11 respectively. Slamming the negative comments in social media over Pujara and Rahane's batting, former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer took to his Koo account to share his hilarious take on those who censured the duo.

Taking to his Koo handle on Tuesday, Wasim Jaffer posted a meme that accurately described the situation of how things stand as India registered a 58-run lead against South Africa at the end of Day 2. The meme referred to a hilarious scene from the popular Bollywood movie Ishq, where the lead actors Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn are 'hanging' onto a pipe between the building. Ironically, it signified how important it was for Rahane and Pujara to prove their mettle as Day 3 resumes so as to give a befitting reply to criticism.

The second part of the meme, however, took a jibe at people who practically 'wished' for the batters' ouster. It slammed people who shared negative against the players on social media, suggesting they will be deaf to the players even if they did perform well. 

Take a look at Wasim Jaffer's Koo post here:

Meanwhile, other netizens also hoped that Pujara and Rahane would stitch a partnership on Day 3 to post a respectable target for the visitors. With the team on brink of creating history if they win the second Test, Indian cricket fans shared their views on the Day 2 performance of the team. Have a look:

Image: AP