IND vs SA | Four scalps in final session hands India edge on Day 1 as Proteas fail to convert starts

Gantavya Adukia

ByGantavya Adukia,SportsCafe Editor

22

India and South Africa traded blows right through the opening day of the second Test at Baraspara Stadium in Guwahati as the tourists ended the day on 247/6. All of Proteas' top four got starts but none managed to go past 49, while Kuldeep Yadav was the hosts best bowler with figures of 3/48.

Kuldeep Yadav scalped three South African wickets to hand India the edge on Day 1 in Guwahati

‌Brief score: SA 247/6 [Stubbs 49, Bavuma 41; Kuldeep 3/48] at Stumps on Day 1

India's stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant fared no batter than his predecessors as far as the toss was concerned, with Temba Bavuma winning the coin flip and sending South Africa in to bat. Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah began sharp and produced a new-ball clinic, conceding just four runs off the bat in the first six overs, and the pressure culminated in Aiden Markram edging one to the cordon only for KL Rahul to let the chance slip. The Proteas capitalized by seeing out Bumrah before pushing the tempo against Nitish Kumar Reddy and a tiring Siraj to bring up the 50-run stand in the 17th over. Pant had seen enough from the seamers and brought on spin re-inforcements Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav into the attack to again stifle the tourists with a four-over spell worth just three runs. However, as the session wore on Ryan Rickelton and Markram grew increasingly comfortable, and seemed set to tick into the break without loss when Pant gambled by giving Bumrah a solitary over before Tea was called. The tactic worked wonders as a gorgeous inseamer sent Markram's stumps pegging back as he resigned to the hut for 38, the team score reading 82/1 at Tea.

The resumption brought India another breakthrough as Kuldeep needed just two balls after the break to gain Rickelton's outside edge with a flighted pearler and Pant held onto a sharp catch without much ado. With two new batters at the crease in Tristan Stubbs and Temba Bavuma, India tried to tighten the screws with Siraj and Jadeja in particular delivering testing spells, albeit the former was given his due with back-to-back boundaries by Bavuma at the end of his spell to force the return of Kuldeep. Nevertheless, the stand ticked past 50 and was beginning to bother the hosts when Jadeja snuck through an attempted sweep by Bavuma and seemed convinced he had pinned him in front, only for DRS to reveal the ball was missing leg much to the entire team's chagrin. The duo kept safe through to Lunch as India controlled proceedings by giving runs at just a little over two and a half but the edge lay with the Proteas, the wicketless session having taken them to 156/2.

Stubbs refused to be caged down again when play began for the final session and charged down Jadeja for a lofted boundary in the first over itself. Bavuma tried to imitate the prodigy in Jadeja's next over, but his attempt landed in the hands of mid-off and he walked off devastated for 41. With Bumrah operating from the other end, the shackles were back on even as Stubbs tried to keep the run rate afloat with a couple of glorious strokes, and the batters managed to survive the opening phase successful as Kuldeep and Siraj came on as replacements. The left-arm wristy needed just one ball to send Stubbs packing with turn and bounce leading to a catch at slip, stranding the youngster one short of a half-century. Wiaan Mulder began positively with two quick boundaries off Siraj but tried a shot too many as he chipped a routine Kuldeep delivery straight to mid-off, completing a Proteas slide from 166/2 to 201/5. Tony de Zorzi and Senuran Muthusamy stabilized proceedingss thereafter with sturdy defence, followed by a few quick boundaries to take ascendancy. However, with light fading and less than 10 minutes to go for the end of play, India brought back on their two seamers and opted for the new ball. The move worked like a charm as Siraj swung one away from de Zorzi while Pant completed a brilliant diving catch behind the stumps to send him packing for 29 in what turned out to be the final over of the day, the Proteas finishing on 247/6.

What a catch!

Good spell!

On fire!

Kuldeep strikes!

Perfect

Superb catch!

Siraj strike!

Wicket!

Brilliant!

Pant🔥

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