IND vs SA, 2nd Test: Markram, Bumrah shine in shortest Test match as India levels series against South Africa

India’s seven-wicket victory came in the second session on the second day, its first-ever Test win at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town with the visitors needing only 79 to win.

Cape Town: Indian and South African players pose with the trophy at the end of the 2-match Test cricket series, known as The Freedom Series, between India and South Africa, in Cape Town, South Africa | Photo Credit: Atul Yadav/ PTI

The final frontier will remain the final frontier for some more time, but India’s cricketers will head back home, their heads held high.

India expectedly wrapped up the second Test with plenty of time to spare on Thursday to square the two-Test series against South Africa 1-1.

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Aiden Markram scored a stunning hundred (106, 103b, 17x4, 2x6) on an incredibly challenging track where nobody else touched 50, but that could only delay the inevitable.

India’s seven-wicket victory came in the second session on the second day, its first-ever Test win at the Newlands Cricket Ground. It also proved to be the shortest match in the history of Test cricket. India won in 642 balls, beating the 1932 record of 656 balls at Melbourne.

This Test match has of course been as much a delight for statisticians as it has been a nightmare for batters. But for one man, this was an occasion to show the world what an exceptionally talented batter he is.

Markram was brilliant. He probably played the innings of his life. It is a pity that South Africa could not get a good enough lead that would have posed some sort of a challenge to India.

The visitors needed only 79 to win. The South Africans had resumed at the overnight score of 62 for three, trailing by 36 runs. They would have been hopeful of getting a reasonable lead, but Jasprit Bumrah would not let them.

The Indian spearhead may have played a supporting role in the first innings, but he wasn’t going to let this Test without making a significant contribution on his own. He broke through in the very first over of the day, getting rid of David Bedingham, whose attempt to drive ended in the gloves of K.L. Rahul behind the stumps.

Aiden Markram of South Africa celebrates his 100 during the second day of the second test match between South Africa and India in Cape Town, South Africa. | Photo Credit: HALDEN KROG/ AP

After having Kyle Verreynne caught by his new-ball partner at mid-on, he took a fine catch off his own bowling to dismiss Marco Jansen. Bumrah would finish with six for 61.

All this while, it had looked as if Markram was batting on a wicket different from all the others (maybe with the glorious exception of the Indian master Virat Kohli, who stood tall among India’s ruins on the opening day).

And Kohli knows how skilful, focussed and determined a batter has to be to succeed on a wicket like this, against a quality attack and in the hopeless situation a team is in. So when Markram got to his hundred, he went up to him and congratulated him.

Markram would have appreciated that. And the goodly crowd that turned up probably in hope of a miracle were treated to some exquisite batsmanship by the elegant opener.

Markram played some great shots, most of them along the ground, with perfect timing. He also cleared the ground on a couple of occasions in great style. Those two sixes came off Prasidh Krishna’s first over of the innings. The first one was pulled majestically over square-leg, and the second was lofted over the bowler’s head; it was one of the shots of the match.