India secured a convincing victory against the Proteas inside two days to level the two-match series.
Cricket writer Ongama Gcwabe highlights plays from the record-breaking New Year's Test at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town.
1. Guard of honour – As Dean Elgar crossed the boundary ropes for the last time in his career, the Proteas Test squad formed a guard of honour to bid farewell to one of the best Test openers to ever put on a Proteas jersey.
2. Aiden on Dean – “He’s been fantastic. He took me under his wing from the first day at the Titans, I think that was 9 years ago. He’s looked after me ever since. He’s a tough character, he never shies away from an honest conversation and a guy that you always want in your dressing room. It’s going to be sad to see him go but he’s been a fantastic servant for the country.”
3. Aiden Markram Masterclass – In a 2-Day Test where every batter had a tough time what was a difficult wicket to bat on, Markram was by far the stand-out as the three figures next two his name in the second innings vividly display. He played with a straight bat, kept disciplined and only attacked bad balls, a combination that the rest of the batters lacked throughout the Test.
4. De Zorzi drops Sharma – With Kagiso Rabada charging in at Rohit Sharma, troubling the Indian captain as he always does, Sharma mistimed a pull-shot and skied it to the point region where Tony de Zorzi was stationed. De Zorzi palmed it to the ground, dropping Sharma and allowed the Indian captain to take his team to a series leveling victory.
The 22 yards that lasted just 642 balls - the shortest in the history of Test cricket!! @IOLsport @anandvasu #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/gtBJssfgJA
— Zaahier Adams (@ZaahierAdams) January 4, 2024
5. Record – This Test has had it all. From seeing the most wicket fall on an opening Day since 1902 to now being the shortest Test match in the history of the longest format in terms of balls bowled. It only lasted 107 overs, which is 642 balls, surpassing the previous record of 656 balls which also featured South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1932.
IOL Sport