The first day of the second Test of the three-match series between South Africa and India in Cape Town saw a wicket-fest as the bowlers of both teams celebrated the new year in a convincing style. A total of 23 wickets fell just within the 260 runs at the time of stumps.
Firstly, the hosts’ skipper Dean Elgar won the toss and decided to bat first; however, his decision backfired and the Proteas got bundled out just at the score of 55 runs in the first innings. Star Indian pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj claimed his Test career’s best bowling figures, claiming 6 wickets at the cost of only 15 runs in 9 overs, including 3 maiden overs.
Besides Siraj, his pace bowling partners Jasprit Bumrah and Mukesh Kumar also claimed 2 wickets each to bundle out South Africa at their lowest-ever total in a Test innings. It was also the lowest-ever Test innings total by any team against India in the Tests.
India faced an unbelievable collapse from a comfortable position
In reply to South Africa’s first innings total of 55 runs, India were looking comfortable at one stage with a score of 153 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in 33 overs. But then happened a drastic batting collapse with the visitors, courtesy of star Proteas pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. Subsequently, India lost their 6 wickets without scoring any runs.
In Test cricket’s 146-year-long history, it was the highest number of wickets a team lost without scoring a single run. South Africa’s pace trio of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Nandre Burger scalped 3 wickets each to bundle out India at the score of 153 runs in 34.5 overs, taking a lead of 98 runs in the first innings. South Africa started their batting in the second innings on day 1 only; at the time of stumps, they had lost 3 wickets at the score of 62 runs, trailing by 36 runs in the second innings, having Aiden Markram and David Bedingham there in the middle.
Here’s how fans reacted to the day 1 drama in 2nd Test between South Africa and India:
What a day of test cricket. Absolute cinema.#IndvsSa#PakvsAus
— اصف میر 🇵🇸 (@AasifMeer01) January 3, 2024
*Today Ducks 🦆 in test cricket:-*
— MOHSIN MALIK (@MohsinMumtaz_07) January 3, 2024
Abdullah Shafique 🦆
Saim Ayub 🦆
Hasan Ali 🦆
Marco Jansen 🦆
Yashaswi Jaiswal 🦆
Shreyas Iyer 🦆
Ravindra Jadeja 🦆
Jasprit Bumrah 🦆
Mohammad Siraj 🦆
Prasidh Krishna 🦆
Divided by border united by ducks ❤️ #INDvsSA #PAKvsAUS pic.twitter.com/RFfwExIDc2
Team India is heavily dependent on Rohit Sharma (39) & Virat Kohli (46) part n was on display today 🫶#INDvsSA #RohitSharma𓃵 #ViratKohli𓃵 pic.twitter.com/lNdVQM0kzJ
— Flash (@F1ash369) January 3, 2024
#INDvsSA 23 wickets on day 1 of the test match. Wonder what @ICC thinks of the pitch?
— Harsh (@harshskn) January 3, 2024
Heard 25 wickets fell today on the first day of the #INDvsSA test match, where the pitch did all kinds of things to the cricket ball, things it’s not supposed to do. Can’t the ICC check if the pitch is worth playing before giving a go ahead to important international test…
— Pratim Dasgupta (@PratimDGupta) January 3, 2024
Most Wickets on Day 1 of a Test:
— Saabir Zafar (@Saabir_Saabu01) January 3, 2024
25 - AUS vs ENG (Melbourne, 1902)
23 - SA vs IND (Cape Town, 2024)
22 - ENG vs AUS (The Oval, 1890)
22 - AUS vs WI (Adelaide, 1951)
21 - SA vs ENG (Gqeberha, 1896)#INDvSA #INDvsSA #SAvIND #SAvsIND
So in one day SA got bowled out for 53 and then India got bowled out for 153 and SA ended with 62/3. Test match 🤷🏻♂️#INDvsSA
— Kini (@mildwave) January 3, 2024
और क्या चल रहा है 😊#INDvsSA
— विकास मानव (𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡)🇮🇳 (@Vikasmanav18) January 3, 2024
Moye Moye... #INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/GWZlEtOMaf
— Naresh Khinchi (@HelloKhinchi) January 3, 2024
Can't believe what I just saw😭#INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/JrCD51CfvK
— Aryan 🦥 (@iAryan_Sharma) January 3, 2024