Toss: South Africa chose to bat. SOUTH AFRICA: 62/3 (Markram 36*, Mukesh 2-25) & 55 (Verreynne 15, Siraj 6-15) trail INDIA: 153 (Kohli 46, Ngidi 3-30) by 36 runs.
To begin, Happy New Year everyone. Alright then, I know everyone has the same question - What the heck happened in Newlands on the first day? 23 wickets were taken over 85.1 overs. South Africa lost 13 wickets, and India 10. It’s day 1 and the 3rd innings is already underway, that too with 3 wickets already lost. The Cape Town pitch has demons in it, and huge cracks throughout the 22 yards induce uneven bounce that will get worse as more cricket is played. The pitch was a huge factor in producing this alien scorecard, but there really was some mediocre batting on display today. Especially when India lost 6 wickets for 0 runs and were bundled out for 153. Siraj was brilliant for the Indians, Mukesh too finding his length and producing 4 wickets over 2 innings so far. And Ngidi, Rabada, and Burger scalped 3 wickets each. Where did both teams go wrong? And what is the way forward?
Siraj Smells Blood
The Indian bowlers clearly did their homework. They were wildly inconsistent in the first match, with Bumrah being the only consistent cog. They gave Elgar width and didn’t bowl on his body. Elgar had plenty of time to free his hands and get runs, but more importantly, surviving was easier because he could easily leave deliveries alone. But here was India. Spot on with their line and length. Siraj got a brilliant outswinger to get Markram in the 4th over, and that was it, there was no looking back. In Siraj’s next over, another late inswinger, and Elgar chopped it onto his stumps. And it was a wicket in the making. Siraj had earned his wicket. Bumrah too played a big role in India getting that wicket. They kept bowling at Elgar’s body, they gave him no room to free up his hands. Watching it live, it was beautiful test cricket, and pace bowling at its finest. Soon enough, Bumrah joined the party, producing trampoline bounce with a good late swing, getting Stubbs, and just like that, South Africa was 11/3.
It was just a juggernaut post that wicket. For the next 44 runs, South Africa lost 7 wickets. Bedingham and Verreynne tried stitching together a partnership, but they could only get 19 runs before Siraj got Bedingham. Now I noticed something about Bedingham’s batting. I might be wrong, but this is what I sensed was the case. Bedingham seems weaker through the off side than he is on the leg side. He is mighty strong through the onside and got some brilliant shots there, but he is weaker on the offside. And the Indian pacers could see that, they sensed that weakness, and exploited it, and Siraj got him out. Of course, there was the infamous extra bounce, but he had seen plenty of it, as had every other batter that batted today. Siraj bowled a 9-over spell, getting 6 wickets off 15 runs. And this will probably go down as one of the best Indian pace bowling performances overseas, the sheer discipline and skill he showed was unbelievable. I couldn’t believe what I was watching, because it was that sort of a performance. He exploited the pace and bounce very skillfully. I wanted Siraj to step up, and support Bumrah by being disciplined with his line and length, and so he did.
Mukesh Kumar too pitched in with 2 wickets, Bumrah too with 2 wickets. But he should’ve gotten a lot more wickets. As always, Bumrah was unlucky. There were several deliveries that could’ve easily caught the batter’s edge, but it just didn’t happen. Siraj actually reaped the rewards of the pressure Bumrah created like other bowlers always do. South Africa was bowled out for 55, in the first session. What would’ve been an unreal comeback for the Indians after Centurion if not for what followed?
Rohit, Gill, Kohli, That’s All
Rabada troubled Jaiswal in the first over, beating his edge a couple of times, and one four off a leg-bye. Jaiswal looked edgy, uncomfortable, and of course, finding it difficult to judge the obnoxious pitch. Before he could figure anything out, Rabada got him cut and bowled in his next over. Jaiswal walked back in the third over and oh it seemed all way too familiar for the Indians. But that is where Rohit took over. He figured out that the best way to survive on the pitch is to stay aggressive and score runs. Counter-intuitive, no? Absolutely. The shots he was playing scared the life out of me, but he knew what he was doing. He didn’t necessarily get boundaries off every shot he played, but he made his intentions clear, he was not going to be toyed with, he was going to take over. Rohit took Burger to the cleaners in his first over, scoring 3 magnificent boundaries, one was an off-drive, another a classic pull shot, and the last one a shot over the bowler’s head. “Jeez”, I said watching him smack the Proteas' bowling lineup. Gill too started off well. Hit a couple of boundaries as well, but more importantly, he was steady on the crease, not fully in control, but it felt like he knew what he was doing. He was tackling the bounce very well, several deliveries just stood up to him, but he played them well. This was good batting from the Indians early on, after Jaiswal’s dismissal, they had stopped another collapse from happening.
But just when it was looking good, Burger was rewarded for his phenomenal spell, extra bounce angled in towards Rohit, he tried to defend the ball, but it took the shoulder of the bat and flew to Jansen at Gully. An unfortunate dismissal, and Rohit had batted extremely well to go out in this manner, there wasn’t much he could’ve done, it was just a brilliant ball, he was unlucky, but Rohit walked back with a well-made 39, a mighty impressive knock that would’ve given him confidence. Newlands suddenly had energy, the crowd was dancing once again, music was playing, and the fans were enjoying a sunny day, where they could start to forget the horrid morning session. Virat Kohli started off fluently once again, his first boundary was a very fortunate four, he tried to hit a cover drive which caught a thick edge and flew over the slip fielders’ heads. Oh man, the Indian dressing room held their breaths when he hit that shot, but he survived. The next ball was a cover drive again, but a beautiful one, it produced another boundary, and a very unlikely Kohli start to the innings had happened. He had learned from Rohit’s innings, and followed his footsteps, aggression and finding runs was the way to go.
Burger had gone for runs, but he had been brilliant. His lengths and lines were immaculate, and it was one of the finest spells in my recent memory. He was unlucky to not get a wicket because he had created false shots, and several beautiful deliveries, but the batters got boundaries frequently, which messed his economy up. But he was rewarded with Gill’s wicket, and in his next over, he got Shreyas Iyer for a 2-ball duck. India found itself in a familiar position once again, they were 110/4, leading by 55 runs, but not where they wanted to be, credit to Burger.
But Kohli struck back. He hit a few fine boundaries, a magnificent pull shot off Rabada for a six. He had picked up where he left off in Centurion, and even on this pitch, he was batting like an absolute dream. A delight to watch. Two batters so far in the Indian innings seemed unfazed with the wicket - Rohit and Kohli. And this was because of their approach. Being aggressive and counterattacking nullified the bowlers’ threats, and they found runs in that process. It was delightful cricket, watching two masters bat and figure out tough conditions. One who had found South Africa difficult, but was striking back stronger than ever, and the other who had aced the South African conditions. Both were in their element and especially why it was a shame they couldn’t score more runs.
W 0 W 0 W
Kohli and KL had been batting well together, Kohli was on song, but KL had gradually found his feet. He had begun taking the fight to the PROTEAS, but that was the end of the Indian dream. Lungi Ngidi bowled a historic 34th over. KL Rahul was caught off a ridiculous shot off the first ball. There was no need to jump and try to hit a delivery that had bounced up so much. That was the beginning of the South African juggernaut. The next 10 balls produced 5 wickets, and 0 runs. ZERO RUNS! India was comfortable and confident at 153/4, and suddenly they were reduced to 153/10. Bowled out. The Proteas had struck back, and it had been a historic comeback. India, who at one stage looked like they could lead by 150-200 by stumps, had been reduced to a mere 98-run lead.
Markram Goes Boom
South Africa coming out to bat would have been delighted, they were trailing by 98 runs, only 98 runs after a 55-run collapse. Markram and Elgar began well. It looked like Markram took notes when Rohit and Kohli were batting, he started off very aggressively. Attacked and put off all the bad balls. So much so that Bumrah was off at the start, and he was taken off after only 3 overs. With Mukesh Kumar being brought in place of him. Markram kept going and kept taking on Siraj and Mukesh. Whilst Siraj did produce some good overs, and beat the batters' edges quite a lot, his luck had run out, and he didn’t get a sniff.
Mukesh Kumar finally struck in the 11th over, Elgar nicks one to Kohli at first slip. And a magnificent test career has come to an end. Cape Town stands up and applauds the great man, both the dressing rooms give him their regards. And Kohli tells his team to not celebrate, Indians go up to him, shake his hand, and congratulate him on a fabulous career. An emotional Deal Elgar walks back to the pavilion, and the crowd has nothing but respect for such a performer. India have gotten their first wicket, but the dangerous Markram is still there.
In Mukesh’s next over, a ball zips past de Zorzi’s bat and catches an edge, KL collects it behind the stumps, Mukesh has two in two, and India senses an opening here, their batting woes can be quickly forgotten if they get a few wickets here. Rohit makes a fantastic move, bringing back Bumrah in place of Siraj to tighten the pressure. And guess what, Bumrah strikes. Tristan Stubbs is a victim of the trampoline bounce the pitch has, a ball stands up to him, and KL does the job again. Rohit’s masterful captaincy has worked, and India has struck thrice in no time. And India has barged through the wall here, they are equally in the game if not ahead.
There is only one over of play post-Stubbs’ wicket. Where Bedingham hits a fine straight drive, and Markram hits two fours off Mukesh in the final over. At Stumps, South Africa still trails by 36 runs with 7 wickets in hand. Markram has found his touch, and Bedingham has been impressive. India struck late in the session, but South Africa ensured runs were scored regardless of wickets. I still feel South Africa starts ahead tomorrow morning. 36 runs is a nothing trail, easily achievable. But they need to bat well to set a formidable total. Anything near 200 will be a daunting task. I just want to see a competitive test match that hopefully goes to Day 3 or beyond. Let’s hope we get one.
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