The opening match of the Test series between India and South Africa unfolded at Centurion's Supersport Park. South Africa emerged victorious, defeating India by an impressive margin of an innings and 32 runs. Former captain Dean Elgar's outstanding century, coupled with top bowling displays from Nandre Burger, Marco Jansen, and Kagiso Rabada, contributed significantly to South Africa's success. Persistent rain limited play to only 134 overs in the initial two days.
South Africa amassed a total of 408 runs in the first innings, establishing a commanding lead of 163 runs. In response, the Indian team could only manage 131 runs in their second innings. This triumph grants South Africa a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series. As a result, India's best outcome in the series is a draw; a win is no longer possible for them.
At Supersport Park, South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to bowl. The beginning of India's batting proved challenging as Kagiso Rabada's swift pace kept the Indian batsmen on their toes throughout the day. India faced an early setback when captain Rohit Sharma was dismissed for just five runs in the fifth over.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, the next batsman, departed in the 10th over after scoring 17 runs, caught by Keshav Maharaj off Nandre Burger's delivery. This marked Burger's maiden wicket in Test cricket. Shubman Gill, the third dismissal, managed only two runs in 12 balls before being caught by Maharaj off Burger's ball.
Post lunch, India encountered its fourth setback as Kagiso Rabada removed Shreyas Iyer for 31 runs on the last ball of the 27th over. Ravichandran Ashwin followed, getting out for eight runs, caught by Aiden Markram off Rabada's delivery. Rabada struck again in the 55th over, dismissing Shardul Thakur for 24 runs. In the 58th over, Marco Jansen claimed India's eighth wicket by bowling out Jasprit Bumrah for one run.
By the day's end, India had lost eight wickets, scoring 208 runs. Rain limited play to only 35 overs, leading to the cancellation of the final session on the first day.
In the second day of the match, India pinned their hopes on wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul as they resumed their innings at 208/8. The morning session saw Keshav Maharaj dismissing Mohammad Siraj for a mere five runs, caught by Verreynne, marking India's ninth setback.
Amidst the challenges, Rahul showcased his betting skills, securing his eighth Test century with a resounding six off Keshav Maharaj's delivery. However, in the 68th over, Nandre Burger brought a halt to Rahul's innings, dismissing him after a commendable score of 101 runs. This concluded India's first innings at 245 runs, with Burger claiming three wickets, and Marco Jansen dismissing one batsman.
Post India's innings, South Africa embarked on their play. By the day's end, South Africa reached a score of 256/6, establishing an 11-run lead over India. Notably, the day concluded prematurely due to poor visibility, prompting the umpires to call off the play.
Following India's innings, South Africa commenced their batting. By the close of the day's play, South Africa reached a total of 256/6, securing an 11-run lead over India. Unfortunately, due to challenging visibility conditions, the umpires made the decision to suspend the game on the second day.
On the third day, India tasted success in the 95th over as Shardul Thakur dismissed Dean Elgar at a score of 185 runs, caught by KL Rahul. Following this, Ashwin sent Gerald Coetzee back to the pavilion after he scored 19 runs. Post-lunch, Jasprit Bumrah took the wickets of Kagiso Rabada and Nandre Burger, concluding South Africa's first innings at 408 runs with nine wickets down.
Earlier in the innings, Dean Elgar showcased the top performance, reaching a century with 185 runs, Marko Jansen contributed 84 runs, and David Bedingham made a half-century with 56 runs. South Africa established a substantial lead of 163 runs in the first Test match of the series. Captain Temba Bavuma opted not to bat, and Marko Jansen remained unbeaten with 84 runs.
Jasprit Bumrah claimed four wickets, Mohammed Siraj secured two wickets, while Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Prasidh Krishna each took one wicket.
In India's second innings, only Virat Kohli with 76 runs and Shubman Gill with 26 runs managed to reach double figures. Unfortunately, four batsmen were dismissed without scoring. Nandre Burger shone with three wickets in the first innings and four wickets in the second innings. Kagiso Rabada, contributing significantly to his team's success, took five wickets in the first innings and three wickets in the second innings.
Dean Elgar, who showcased a remarkable performance by scoring 185 runs in the first innings for South Africa, has been honored as the Player of the Match.
The next encounter in the India vs South Africa Test series is slated for January 3rd, 2024, at Newlands Cricket Ground. India, eager for a turnaround, is determined to even the series in this match. Reports suggest that Ravindra Jadeja, who missed the first game due to injury, is poised for a comeback. Avesh Khan is also set to join the squad for the 2nd Test. The Indian team is keen to deliver a robust performance and leave a lasting impression in the ongoing series.
Dec 30, 2023
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