South Africa v India 2023/24

Watch: KL Rahul steals strike with cheeky bye, catches keeper unawares as he throws ball to slip fielder

by Wisden Staff December 27, 2023 - 10:23am 3 minute read

Watch: During the Boxing Day Test match at Centurion, KL Rahul stole a cheeky bye with Prasidh Krishna to steal strike.

Asked to bat, India were 238-8 in the first innings after Temba Bavuma opted to bowl in the first Test of the two-match series, at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

No.10 Mohammed Siraj (5) batted for nearly an hour to help KL Rahul put on 47 for the ninth wicket. Gerald Coetzee eventually got him caught behind, and debutant Prasidh Krishna walked out.

Rahul, 95 was understandably keen to get back on strike. Across 12 first-class matches, Prasidh averages a mere 8, with a highest score of 25; and has batted at No.11 in seven of his eight innings in limited-overs international cricket.

Prasidh left the first ball. The third ball was down the leg side, and Prasidh let that go as well. Rahul set off from the non-striker’s end even before the ball reached wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne, and Prasidh responded to the call.

Had Verreynne hit the stumps, he would almost certainly have run out Rahul, but he had not realised that the batters had been running and had, as per norm, thrown the ball towards the slip cordon.

The batters completed the bye. As the fielders came closer for the last ball of the over, Rahul dispatched it over deep mid-wicket to bring up his eighth hundred in Test match cricket.

Rahul was last out, bowled by debutant Nandre Burger (3-50) for a 137-ball 101 (14 fours, 4 sixes). After being 24-3 and then 121-6, India eventually made 245 even as Kagiso Rabada claimed 5-59.

South Africa were 49-1 at lunch on day two. They trail by 196 runs, while there is uncertainty over captain Temba Bavuma’s uncertainty for the rest of the Test match.