New Delhi: Mohammed Siraj-led Indian pace attack ate up the South African batting line-up on Day 1’s first season of the Cape Town Test on Wednesday.
After being invited to bowl first in the second and concluding Test match by the Proteas skipper Dean Elgar, the men in blue went all guns blazing against the South Africans, restricting their 1st inning score to a mere total of 55 runs in 23.2 overs.
W W W W W W 🙌🏻
Wreaking 🔥 ft. Mohammed Siuuuraajjj! Watch all his 6️⃣ scalps 👆🏻
Tune in to #SAvIND 2nd Test
LIVE NOW | Star Sports Network#Cricket pic.twitter.com/t7bT3pCRLl— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 3, 2024
While Siraj (6/15) played a lead role in India’s offensive and claimed 6 crucial wickets in his 9-over spell, Jasprit Bumrah (2/25) and Mukesh Kumar (2/2) assisted him by getting two wickets each against the green and gold team. This collective effort of the Indian pacemen brought fresh embarrassment to the hosts as they registered their all-time low total against team India in the history of the game.
Wickets fell like nine pins! 🎳
.@mdsirajofficial & Co. were on the target this morning, snapping up all 10 #SouthAfrica wickets in just the first session of the Test!
Watch all the fall of wickets here!
Tune-in to #SAvIND 2nd Test
LIVE NOW | Star Sports Network#Cricket pic.twitter.com/viu3OGxCL8— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 3, 2024
South Africa’s lowest Test totals
Before today, South Africa made their lowest test total against India in Nagpur where the Hashim Amla-led proteas side was bowled out on a small total of 79 in 2015. In the match, India’s legendary spinner ran through the South African batting lineup and took 5 wickets in the first innings.
South Africa’s newly created all-time low test total of 55 runs against India is also the lowest test score registered against the men in blue by any test-playing nation.
However, despite being torn apart by the Indian bowling unit, the Proteas team has somehow managed to keep their first innings lowest test total (30 against England in 1896 & 1924) intact thanks to the batting efforts of David Bedingum 12(15) and Kyle Verreynne 15 (30). Meanwhile, Check out the detailed list of South Africa’s all-time low test totals.
India eyes to level test series
Meanwhile, in the recently concluded IND vs SA Boxing Day test match at Centurion, Rohit Sharma-led Indian team faced a humiliating defeat by innings and 32 runs against the hosts last week.
Following the match, the players and management of the team faced heavy trolling & backlash on social media, compelling the selectors to make a couple of changes to playing 11 for the second test.
As a result, Ravichandran Ashwin and Shardul Thakur were dropped from the team with Mukesh Kumar and Ravindra Jadega coming in as their replacements.
Nevertheless, with the second test match currently poised heavily in India’s favor, it will be interesting to see if the men in blue manage to revenge SA for the defeat in Centurion and level the Test series by 1-1.
