Kolkata: Fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was at his devastating best to claim figures of 5-27 as India bowled out South Africa for just 159 on day one of the first Test at Eden Gardens Friday.
South Africa, who won the toss and elected to bat on a two-paced pitch offering variable bounce, looked well placed for a big score at 57/0 in the 11th over. But once Bumrah removed the openers in quick succession, their innings collapsed dramatically.
The visitors lost all ten wickets for just 102 runs, with their middle order unable to withstand the relentless pressure, as Bumrah picked his 16th five-wicket haul in Tests.
Apart from Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each, while Axar Patel had a scalp to his name.
The crowd of around 35,000 spectators roared firmly for Bumrah through his fiery two-over burst after tea. Their anticipation was rewarded as Bumrah completed his five-wicket haul, as South Africa also recorded their second-lowest first-innings score against India and squandered the advantage of winning the toss.
The post-tea session began with Bumrah getting one to jag back in and rattle Simon Harmer’s off-stump. Three balls later, Bumrah produced a searing inswinging yorker to trap Keshav Maharaj lbw for a duck, with Tristan Stubbs left seeing the carnage unfold by being unbeaten on 15.
Previously, after South Africa elected to bat first, Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram negotiated the early overs with composure to bring up the fifty of the opening stand – the first such instance for the Proteas in India after 17 innings. Rickelton, fluent from the outset, punished a wayward Siraj for providing width by taking three boundaries off him.
Markram, who got off the mark after facing 22 balls, settled in after a watchful beginning by hitting fours through gorgeous back foot and front foot shots before leaving everyone dazed with his shimmy down the pitch to dispatch Axar for six over wide long-on.
Bumrah, who had produced a few balls that ranged from climbing sharply to staying a touch low, got India back in the game with his double strike – getting a length ball to beat Rickelton’s outside edge and rattle his off stump. He then produced a rising delivery from short of length that forced Markram to play at it and the shoulder edge of the bat was caught by a diving Rishabh Pant.
South Africa’s progress was further dented when Kuldeep trapped Temba Bavuma with a clever leg-slip ploy, and Dhruv Jurel caught the inside edge to send the Proteas skipper for just three, as South Africa slipped from 57/0 to 71/3. From there, Mulder and de Zorzi, showed grit against the spinners till lunch.
After the lunch, Kuldeep and Bumrah set the tone immediately for India by maintaining accuracy. That relentlessness was rewarded when Wiaan Mulder’s attempt to reverse-sweep Kuldeep ended in him being trapped plumb lbw, with the all-rounder also burning a review.
Bumrah’s inswinger kept low and came in off the team from round the wicket to trap Tony de Zorzi lbw for 24. Though Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne tried stabilising South Africa’s innings, Siraj found his rhythm with some reverse swing and struck twice in the 45th over to remove Verreynne and Marco Jansen.
While Verreynne was slow to bring his bat down and was trapped lbw by a nip-backer from Siraj, the pacer got one to tail in from length and castle Marco Jansen through the gate for a three-ball duck.
Axar joined the wicket-taking party just before the tea break by trapping Corbin Bosch lbw with a straight delivery to leave India happy and South Africa in dire straits.
After that, South Africa could only add five runs to their total at the start of the final session before Bumrah wrapped up the innings quickly to pick a memorable five-for, leaving the Kolkata crowd delighted.
Brief Scores: South Africa 159 in 55 overs (Aiden Markram 31, Ryan Rickelton 23; Jasprit Bumrah 5-27, Kuldeep Yadav 2-36) against India
IANS
