A record 23 wickets fell in a crazy first day of the second Test between the Proteas and India at Newlands in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Cricket writer Ongama Gcwabe highlights three plays from the record-breaking day’s action.
Newlands, Batter’s graveyard
South Africa’s 55 all-out on Day one at Newlands was not only the lowest total against India in Tests but was the fifth-lowest first innings total in men’s Tests since 1950. It wasn’t the first time Newlands proved to be the batter’s graveyard as three of the four totals were also here in Cape Town.
The first day saw 75.1 overs in total while the batters from both teams managed only 270 runs and the game is already into the third innings of the match.
Proteas Fightback
On the stroke of tea, Nandre Burger inspired a brilliant fightback from the Proteas pace attack having leaked 72 runs with only Kagiso Rabada hitting his straps with the newball, claiming Yashasvi Jaiswal’s wicket in the third over of the Indian batting innings.
Initially, Burger endured a tough first spell where he conceded 21 off his first 2 overs and this was after stand-in captain Dean Elgar entrusted him to replace Lungi Ngidi’s below par newball spell of 0/19 in 2 overs.
However, Burger found his groove in his second spell dismissing Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer.
This inspired Ngidi’s three wickets in a single over while Rabada backed him up with two more wickets to take India from 153/4 to 153 all-out, losing six wickets in 11 balls.
Record wickets
23 wickets fell on Day one of the New Year’s Test at Newlands, making it the second most wickets to fall in the first day of a Test match, second only to a 1902 Australia - England Test where 25 wickets fell on the opening day.
Test cricket has only seen 20 or more wickets fall in a single day 35 times and that is after over 2500 Tests, making the first Day of the ongoing Test at Newlands a special and historic day’s play.
IOL Sport