India are set to host South Africa in the first Test this year between the two sides at the Eden Gardens. It will be the first time that the two teams meet in a Test match since India’s tour of South Africa in 2023/24. And well, anyone who remembers that series would also recall the bizarre manner in which it ended.
The second and last Test match of the series was in Cape Town, a ground India where India had never tasted victory. South Africa captain Dean Elgar, playing his last international game, won the toss and elected to bat first. What followed was the kind of collapse South Africa had probably never experienced since their readmission to Test cricket in 1991. They were all out for 55, their lowest total in the format since 1932 and the lowest score by any team in a Test innings against India. Mohammed Siraj was the chief architect, picking incredible figures of 6/15 while Jasprit Bumrah had 2/25. Mukesh Kumar bowled two overs and picked two wickets, the second of which was also the last of the South African innings that lasted all of 23.2 overs.
India lost wickets at frequent interventions by normal cricketing standards but with there being nothing normal about this one, the visitors seemed set to cruise to a mammoth lead. At the end of the 33rd over of the innings, India’s score stood at 153/4, with Virat Kohli looking majestic on 46 off 57 balls and KL Rahul at the other end on eight off 32, facing up to Lungi Ngidi. By the end of that over, Kohli saw three of his teammates depart and the score stood at 153/7. Then, Kohli himself fell to Rabada, followed by Siraj being run out and then Prasidh Krishna being dismissed. Within a matter of 11 balls, India lost six wickets and their lead stood frozen at 98. Both sides were done with their respective first innings in just over the first two sessions of the Test.
The day ended with South Africa’s score reading 62/3 in 17 overs.
Aiden Markram incredibly scored 106 off 103 balls in the South African second innings but the hosts were all out for just 176 runs, thus setting India a target of 79 to chase. It was Bumrah who took the lead for India this time, returning figures of 6/61. Yashasvi Jaiswal gave them a quick start and his opening partnership with Rohit stood on 44 when he fell. This meant that despite India losing two more wickets, they managed to get over the line without too much trouble.
