SA vs IND: Virat Kohli unhappy with Marais Erasmus after umpire warns Mohammed Shami for running on danger zone

Stakes and intensity are incredibly high in the ongoing third Test between South Africa and India. With the series being poised at 1-1, the ongoing game is a decider with the history being on the line. India are eyeing their maiden Test series win on South African soil and the Proteas side is fighting to avoid the same in Cape Town.

With so much to play for at the Newlands, intensity in both camps is evidently high. There have been several instances of verbal altercations between the players of the two teams. On Day 2 of the contest, even veteran umpire Marais Erasmus had to face the heat. While Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav bowled some sensational spells early on, things weren’t as smooth at the other end for Mohammed Shami.

Mohammed Shami looked off colour in morning session

The fast bowler received a warning from Erasmus for running into the middle of the pitch, which is called the danger area. However, Kohli wasn’t amused with the Erasmus’ call. The replay on the big screen showed that Shami had landed outside the danger zone after bowling the delivery. Hence, Kohli, who’s not known to hold his opinions, went to Erasmus to have a conversation regarding his warning.

Meanwhile, a compilation of all of Shami’s deliveries in the game showed that the pacer had indeed landed in the danger zone on three prior occasions on which he was warned. Hence, the reprimand from Erasmus came due to Shami’s previous errors.

Speaking of how the game has panned out so far, India batting first posted a paltry-looking 223. Besides skipper Virat Kohli, none of the Indian batters could breach the 50-run mark as South African bowlers made full utilization of spin-friendly conditions. However, India bounced back with the ball and brought their side back in the hunt.

While Bumrah and Umesh did well in the morning session, Shami got among the wickets a bit late. As a result, South Africa lost nine wickets inside 200 runs and the game is pretty much hanging in balance. Notably, the home team will have to bat last in this contest. Hence, India would be the happier side with the proceedings so far.