South Africa shredded the Indian batting lineup to claim victory by an innings and 32 runs in the first Test on Thursday, securing the win inside three days and ensuring their proud home record against the tourists remains intact.
The home attack dismissed India for 131 in their second innings after South Africa had earlier scored 408, giving them a 163-run first-innings lead at Centurion. Only Virat Kohli provided any resistance in an alarming collapse as the debutant Nandre Burger took four wickets, Marco Jansen three and Kagiso Rabada two. With only two Tests being played, South Africa cannot lose the series and remain the only country where India have yet to win an away series.
Mitchell Marsh of Australia raises his bat to celebrate making a half century during Day 3 of the Second Test match between Australia and Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Thursday, December 28, 2023. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY, IMAGES TO BE USED FOR NEWS REPORTING PURPOSES ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL USE WHATSOEVER, NO USE IN BOOKS WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT FROM AAP
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It was a devastating bowling performance, from the first ball of India’s second innings where South Africa could have had a wicket had Aiden Markram, at second slip, not dropped an edge from Yashasvi Jaiswal off Rabada. But in his next over the fiery paceman bowled the India captain, Rohit Sharma, and Jaiswal then gloved a searing delivery from Burger to depart for five.
Shubman Gill led a brief fightback for his beleaguered team as he scored 26 off 37 balls. He was bowled by Jansen to leave India 62 for three at tea. But while Kohli proved a bulwark, wickets continued to fall at the start of the final session with Shreyas Iyer castled by Jansen (for six) and then Burger taking two wickets in as many balls. KL Rahul, who scored a century in the first innings, went cheaply for four as he edged to Markram and Ravichandran Ashwin was caught next ball as he cut straight to gully.
David Bedingham took a second catch at gully as Shardul Thakur (2) became Rabada’s seventh victim of the Test before Jasprit Bumrah was run out without scoring. A slight brush on the thumb of his glove saw Mohammed Siraj go next after South Africa had reviewed and Kohli was the last out for 76 runs off 82 balls, brilliantly caught in the deep by a diving Rabada in a fitting end.
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