Cape Town was witness to something remarkable on Wednesday. Overall 23 wickets fell on the first day of the second Test between India and South Africa with several world records being broken. After South Africa chose to bat first, the hosts lost 10 wickets in the first session as they were all out for 55. It’s the lowest all-out score by a team against India in Tests. Then India got out for 153, losing their last six wickets for 0 – which is a world record. At stumps, India had gained control with South Africa reeling at 62/3 in their second innings.
The incidents of the day surprised Indian cricket team stars too who were commentating on the match. Sanjay Manjrekar had predicted four wickets in the first session while Piyush Chawla predicted three wickets. Both were wrong.
“We should be sacked for our poor prediction. I said 4, he said 3,” Manjrekar said on Star Sports. “Mohammed Siraj was not trying to swing the ball. Just watch all the deliveries, the balls that got him wickets. No one is floating the ball up and trying to get a swing. This is the South African way of getting wickets in South Africa.
“There is something about an action that is repeatable. Siraj is a type of bowler, if he has 3 wickets in 5 overs, you don’t want to give him a break. He would want to go on and on. He is somebody who would bowl 12 overs in a session,” Manjrekar added.
Talking about the match, Mohammed Siraj got six wickets in a breathtakingly menacing morning spell but to his horror found India losing six wickets in a space of eleven balls in the final session before regaining the advantage against South Africa on a rivetting day one of the second Test.
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 addition of single run in a space of 11 deliveries to end with a 98-run lead.
There were six Indian batters, who failed to open their accounts and one who remained not out also didn’t trouble the scorer, making it a statistician’s nightmare.
Lungi Ngidi (3/30) and Kagiso Rabada (3/38) got five of those six wickets keeping the lead below 100 and gaining 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 bring down the deficit to 36 runs. Aiden Markram (32 batting) looked solid in the middle.
The maximum number of wickets lost on Day 1 of a Test is 25 and that happened in an Ashes Test back in 1902.
With PTI inputs
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