Pure drama unfolded on day 1 of the second test between India and South Africa at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town. Test cricket did not look like a Test match in itself as players from both sides reigned supreme on a pitch that offered no help to the batsmen. The visitors’ batting line-up also claimed a record they won’t be so proud of and was led by opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal.
After India’s fantastic day with the ball led by Mohammed Siraj, the batting lineup failed to capitalize on that start. South Africa were bowled out for just 55 runs and Siraj posted career-best figures of 6/15, while Jasprit Bumrah and Mukesh Kumar finished with figures of 2/25 and 2/0 respectively.
Most of us would have thought it would now be a walk in the park for India in their bid to level the series, but the South African bowlers had revenge on their mind. Left-handed batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal became the first to get out or one could say he started the trend of getting out for a duck.
Barring Rohit Sharma (39), Shubman Gill (36), Virat Kohli (46) and KL Rahul (8), all the team members departed for a duck. Mohammed Siraj, who spit fire throughout his spell, had to go out and look for a golden duck.
India’s embarrassment in the second innings helped them achieve some records that they were better off without. Firstly, it was for the first time in Test cricket that a team lost 6 consecutive wickets without registering a single run on the board.
It happened after KL Rahul’s departure when India were 153/5. Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna reached the crease and left without scoring a single run as the score remained at 153 with India winning all in the 35th over.
The South African bowlers wasted no time in giving the Indian batsmen a taste of their own medicine on a pitch that produced plenty of bounce. It would be fair to say that players from both teams were able to stick to their plans and remained disciplined with the length of their lines.
Indian batsmen record highest number of ducks in a single innings
The second record achieved by the Indian team was the highest number of ducks in a single innings. Six Indian batsmen had to get out for a duck and it was the second time such a case had occurred. In 2014, when India faced England in a test match in Manchester, the Indian batsmen also recorded 6 ducks and were bowled out for 152.
Additionally, 23 wickets fell at Newlands yesterday, which is the second-highest number of wickets to fall in one day, the first being 25 during a Test match between Australia and England in 1904. On Day 2, Markram and Bedingham will resume reducing the current. trace of 36.
