IND vs SA | We just couldn’t get another wicket, rues Anrich Nortje

Rohit Sharma scored his sixth Test hundred in Ranchi - his third this series - to guide the home team to a comfortable position on the first day of the Ranchi Test before bad light and rain forced early stumps. Meanwhile, South Africa players should be kicking themselves on their back for losing the plot after holding the Indians perfectly in the first one and a half hours. In the afternoon session itself, India added 134 runs without losing a wicket and that particularly has left Nortje frustrated.

“We were definitely better compared to the previous Test. We just tried to control the game a little bit better. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get another wicket... It would have been nice to have them four-five down,” Nortje said after the first day’s play, reported Scroll.in.

“We had one or two overs where we went on top, later on, we just pulled it back again. So, maybe, here and there we lost but, in general, a good effort by everyone. Overall, it was a good effort by the bowlers. There was a little bit in it this morning, tried to utilise as much but one or two overs didn’t go our way.”

Like the second Test's Day 1, Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the attack for South Africa once again with a splendid bowling effort of 2/54 in 14 overs, while Nortje picked up the wicket of Virat Kohli. While crediting Kohli's wicket as the result of a bigger plan, he hailed Rabada for the kind of effort he had shown.

“I was hoping for a wicket somewhere and to get him was unbelievable, but just try and come with a plan. I try and put as much pressure as possible and finally got the wicket. I think there were quite a lot of opportunities right through the series. Lots of nicks going through the gaps or falling short. Something happened today here there, that’s normal to cricket. We have to take it forward going from here. Just keep on asking those questions and control the controllable, I guess.

“He bowled really well. He was asking the right questions every time. I thought Lungi backed him up as well. The (bowling) partnership up front was quite decent, so all credit to them.”