Mohammed Siraj picked up six wickets in a breathtakingly menacing morning spell but, to his horror, India lost six wickets in the space of eleven balls in the final session before regaining the lead against South Africa on an enthralling day one of the second Test in Cape Town. After Siraj's career-best 6/15 decimated South Africa for their lowest post-apartheid score of 55, India were 153 for 4 before losing six wickets without adding a single run in the space of 11 deliveries to end with a lead of 98 points.
There were six Indian batters who failed to open their accounts and one who did not stay out did not hinder the scorer either, making it a nightmare for statisticians.
Lungi Ngidi (3/30) and Kagiso Rabada (3/38) picked up five of those six wickets, keeping the lead below 100 and providing the necessary psychological advantage as 23 wickets fell on the opening day.
South Africa were more cautious despite being aggressive as they scored 62 for three in their second innings at stumps to reduce the deficit to 36 runs. Aiden Markram (32 plate appearances) looked solid in center.
The maximum number of wickets lost on Day 1 of a Test is 25 and that happened during an Ashes Test in 1902.
Dean Elgar, in his final Test match, would like to forget dropping twice in a day's play, while Mukesh Kumar (2/0 and 2/25) was rewarded for consistently throwing the ball in the right areas, with plenty of clearance got against lefties.
Any chance of the match entering its third day seems slim.
On a Newlands track that offered a steep bounce and was sure to come under the radar of ICC match referee Chris Broad, the red Kookaburra ball took off like a jumbo jet from the length, making it impossible for batters to survive.
Between the shoulder blades and the abdomen, batters were hit everywhere as the bounce became variable toward the end of the day.
Rohit Sharma (39 off 50 balls) lived dangerously but hit seven glorious fours, knowing that survival would get him nowhere. Ditto for Virat Kohli (46 off 59 balls) and Shubman Gill (36 off 55 balls), who also showed the right intentions.
The talented duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal (0) and Shreyas Iyer (0), from the famous “Khadoos School of Mumbai Cricket” did not trouble the scorers after being exposed to technical ineptitude once again.
A special spell
Before Siraj's special effort, the only Indian in the country's 92-year Test history to take five wickets before lunch was left-arm spinner Maninder Singh, who achieved the feat in 1986-87 in Bengaluru.
On a humid Wednesday morning, South African batsmen discovered just how great the game of cricket is, with Siraj ripping the heart out of the Proteas batsman with a masterclass in pace, swing and seam movement. The Proteas innings ended in just 23.2 overs.
David Bedingham (12) and Kyle Verreynne (15) were the only two batters to reach double figures as the South African supporters in the stands were silenced.
Jasprit Bumrah (2/25 in 8 overs) also kept up the pressure from the other end while Indian skipper Rohit Sharma kept his promise to make life miserable for opposite number Dean Elgar in his farewell Test.
Mukesh also wrapped the tail and proved that he is much better than the bits and pieces Shardul Thakur in these conditions.
Being pilloried for conceding over 400 runs in the heavy defeat at the Centurion, even the biggest Indian supporter could not have imagined such a roaring comeback from the bowlers.
Siraj kept the ball at longer lengths between 4 and 6 meters and bounced most of the balls back in.
From the other end, Bumrah hit the back of the length area while Rohit set up completely attacking fields, albeit of a different nature.
When Siraj initially bowled, a leg slip was placed, while for Bumrah, Rohit himself was at short leg.
The procession began with Markram going on a 'fishing expedition' to a delivery that moved through the air and formed as the opener closed its bat face. Yashasvi Jaiswal took a fantastic catch at third slip to send Markram back.
The dour Elgar played one to his stumps to Siraj, who turned one over at fuller length, not giving him enough space to play the shot.
Bumrah confused young Tristan Stubbs and the simple catch was gobbled up by short-legged skipper.
Tony De Zorzi's affinity for hitting balls off the hips was exploited when he was caught down the leg side.
Unlike Centurion, there were plans in place and David Bedingham, who was fed in the background during the first Test, was enticed to take a drive down the stretch and extra bounce helped.
When Marco Jansen approached Siraj to give him his fifth scalp, you knew South Africa would have one of the most embarrassing mornings since returning to international cricket.
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