West Indies countered when Markram and de Zorzi both reached half-centuries
After tea on an unusually dry Wanderers surface, West Indies came back into the game with the help of Gudakesh Motie, Jason Holder, and Kyle Mayers, falling short of Aiden Markram and Tony de Zorzi’s hundreds.
The two hitters in the set were both bowled by left-arm finger spinner Motie, weakening the solid foundation they had built earlier in the day. South Africa unexpectedly dropped from 248 for 2 to 311 for 7 at the end of play.
South Africa was working away at more than four runs per over when Aiden Markram was in complete control. In the previous session, Motie, who was recovering from a lower-back injury, knocked off the rust and worked well with Holder to put the brakes on South Africa.
The other spinner, Roston Chase, also showed grip, turn, and bounce, which may have attracted the attention of South Africa’s own spinners.
In a rare move, the hosts selected two specialist spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer. Because it was so uncommon, South Africa last played two spinners in Johannesburg in 1965.
After South Africa decided to take the first strike, it was business as usual for Markram. On the front of square, he released a range of picture-perfect drives, both off the front foot and the backside. Markram immediately moved into position to draw
West Indies away when they reduced their length. But as he approached his hundred, he attempted to fake a sweep behind the wicket and missed the ball, allowing it to drop off the toe end. That ended de Zorzi’s easy going second-wicket partnership, which had totaled 116 runs.
De Zorzi scored freely till the day’s last session after reaching his first Test half-century. After tea, he only scored ten runs off 31 balls as Motie and Holder improved their lengths and lines.
As Jason Holder had Temba Bavuma offering no shot to an inductor after having poked away outside off, Motie bowled de Zorzi with a lovely turn and drift from over the wicket.
Ryan Rickleton then scored 22 runs off 49 balls by slicing behind to Joshua Da Silva, thanks to Alzarri Joseph. Then, with the second new ball, Mayers dismissed both Wiaan Mulder and Harmer moments before stumps.
In dramatic contrast to the play in the morning session, where West Indies only managed one strike, the last session witnessed five wickets fall.
The West Indies’ fast bowlers had hoped to hit Dean Elgar with the new ball frequently, but each time they dug it into the ground, it sat up and gave the batter more time to knock them. After that, Motie dropped one that was just a sweeping length short, and Elgar was caught at short fine leg for 42.
After scoring 115 and 47 in the Centurion Test, Markram appeared to be on track for back-to-back hundreds, but he drew painfully short of the target. In addition to being denied a tonne, De Zorzi took part in a late collapse that brought West Indies closer to parity.
South Africa, though, might believe they already have a respectable score on the board given that the playing surface is predicted to slow down and degrade as the game continues.