From the scenic SuperSport Park, you could clearly see the high-speed trains blazing away on the elevated track. India’s disintegration on Thursday matched the speed of those trains.
The hopes of making history in this country for Rohit Sharma’s men were crushed, as South Africa won the first Test by an innings and 32 runs, with more than two days to spare, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
India’s second innings lasted just 34.1 overs.
SA vs IND first Test Scorecard
Earlier, riding on a magnificent innings by Dean Elgar (185, 287b, 28x4), South Africa made 408 in its first innings – and that was without the services of captain Temba Bavuma, who left the field in the opening session of the match with a hamstring strain – to take a lead of 163.
It was always going to be a steep climb after that. But not many could have anticipated India’s fall would be so sudden, or so big.
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India could offer little resistance against the pace ace Kagiso Rabada and his three junior colleagues. The spoils were shared by the master and the pupils.
All but one of the Indian batters succumbed to the South African pacers -- Jasprit Bumrah was run out, while searching for a non-existent second run.
Virat Kohli (76, 82b, 12x4, 1x6) was involved in the mix-up and even he could not do anything about the spectacular collapse around him.
SA vs IND first Test Highlights
India’s second innings began on a sour note. Rabada removed his nemesis, Rohit Sharma, yet again: a beauty that angled in and beat the Indian captain all ends up and disturbed his stumps.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is getting some serious lessons in Test match cricket after his successful debut in the West Indies earlier in the year, was also the victim of a vicious ball, served by the debutant left-am quick Nandre Burger. The opener could not take his gloves out off the way against a ball that rose steeply.
Burger is proving a sumptuous addition to the great tradition of South African pace bowling. He also took one of the most prized Indian wickets – K.L. Rahul.
The first-innings centurion could only make only four before Burger induced an outside edge. With Rahul’s dismissal, nearly half the side had returned to the dressing room for just 96.
India’s scorecard made for miserable reading. Apart from Kohli, only Shubman Gill could reach double figures. His innings of 26 looked promising before being cleaned up by Marco Jansen, who seemed to have taken his batting form from earlier in the day to his bowling.
Jansen made a career-best 84 not out (147b, 11x4, 1x6) and his 111-run partnership with Elgar would prove vital for the Proteas. The duo had resumed at the overnight score of 256 for five and continued to frustrate the Indian bowlers, among whom Bumrah stood out.
Playing his first Test match in over a year and a half, he bowled exceedingly well to take four for 69. He, however, would soon be outshone by South Africa’s bowlers.
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