Cheteshwar Pujara’s tour of South Africa
started on a disappointing note on Sunday as the Indian batter got dismissed
for a golden duck in the first Test at the SuperSportPark, Centurion. While
playing Lungi Ngidi’s delivery that shaped back in, Pujara edged it to Keegan
Petersen at the short leg, handing India two successive blows in the second
session.

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This was Pujara’s second golden duck in
Test cricket and with this nought, he bagged an unwanted record. An orthodox
batter, Pujara now has the most ducks for India at the No. 3 position in the longest
format of the sport. He went past Dilip Vengsarkar’s tally of eight ducks.

This duck will also add pressure on Pujara
since he has been out of form since January 2019. The right-handed batter made
just 95 runs in the recent Test series against New Zealand but was given a long
rope along with Ajinkya Rahane for the Test series opener in South Africa.

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Talking about Pujara’s dismissal, former
India pacer Ajit Agarkar said that things would have been a bit different if
the experienced batter had spent some time at the crease. He also praised Ngidi
for revising his bowling approach after lunch.

“Had Pujara spent some time in the
middle, things would have been easier for him. But good captaincy and bowling
by the opposition. Ngidi changed his approach.

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“Ngidi was trying to bowl outswing at
the start and the line was also outside off. In this spell, he bowled
deliveries that nipped in and trouble the batters. Those two wickets of Mayank
and Pujara were crucial for South Africa. India would have been in a commanding
position if the opening stand wasn’t broken,” said Agarkar on Star Sports.

India lost two quick wickets after opener
Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara were dismissed by Ngidi in two back to
back deliveries in the 41st over. India’s captain Virat Kohli has also departed
after Ngidi struck.

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India were given a fantastic start by
opening KL Rahul and Agarwal. They shared a 117-run partnership. At the time of
publishing this report, Rahul was batting on 91 not out.