Virat Kohli was at his charming best during the opening day of second India vs South Africa Test match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on October 10, 2019 (Thursday). The Indian captain has been in a relaxing mood in recent times with his team whipping the West Indies in their own backyard and following it with another massive victory against South Africa in the first game of a three-match Test series. The fact that the record-breaking Indian skipper is in a good space of mind was evident when he thanked Kagiso Rabada for gifting him four runs. Kohli thanked the entire South Africa team with thumbs up for the gift after Rabada’s wayward throw raced to the boundary.

Rabada, unlike his performance at Visakhapatnam, was breathing fire on Day 1 of the second Test at Pune. The 24-year-old speedster removed Indian opener, Rohit Sharma, even before the latter could settle himself and nearly removed Mayank Agarwal early in his innings only for Temba Bavuma to drop a tough chance at short leg. Rabada, in the company of Vernon Philander, kept India quiet with some terrific lengths and by making use of the early bounce available.

Virat Kohli Thanks Kagiso Rabada For Bonus Runs

That, however, couldn’t be said with his fielding with Rabada guilty of giving away bonus runs to India and Kohli and also missing a couple of easy run-out chances. The incident where he gifted the Indian skipper four bonus runs occurred on the fourth delivery of the 66th over bowled by Keshav Maharaj when Kohli and Rahane were at the crease. The Indian skipper tapped the delivery towards point – where Rabada was stationed – and set off for a quick single. But Rabada was slow to react to it.

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Rabada's Gift to Kohli

Kagiso Rabada Opens Virat Kohli's Account

When Rabada eventually got to the ball, Rahane was still miles out of his crease. And in a bid to run-out the Indian-vice captain, South Africa’s pace spearhead let out a quick throw, which not just missed the reach of Quinton de Kock but also evaded all the South Africa fielders around that region. Rabada’s wayward throw raced to square boundary ropes and ended in “gifting” Kohli five bonus runs (four for the bye boundary and one for the single). Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis and bowler Maharaj were fuming with the fast bowler’s brain-fade moment but Kohli enjoyed it and even thanked all of them, including Rabada, with thumbs-up signs.

Meanwhile, India are comfortably placed at 273/3 at stumps on Day 1 of second India vs South Africa Test match. Mayank Agarwal smashed several records with his second century in as many Test matches in the Test series against South Africa. India already lead the three-match Test series 1-0 and can script history with another series win at home.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2019 07:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).