Centurion, Dec 26 (UNI) South Africa’s star paceman Kagiso Rabada dismantled India’s middle-order with a fifer in the post-lunch session on Day 1 of the first Test at SuperSport Park here on Tuesday.
At tea, India were 176/7 with KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah on 39 and duck, respectively.
India started the post-lunch session awfully as Rabada castled Shreyas Iyer (31) off a wobbly nipbacker to break a promising 68 runs fourth wicket partnership with Virat Kohli.
A couple of overs later, Rabada produced a beauty, forcing Virat to edge one behind wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne for 38, when the star batsman was beginning to shape up well.
Hopes then rested on Rahul and Ravichandran Ashwin who came in for injured Ravindra Jadeja, after half of India’s batsmen were back into the hut inside 31 overs.
The duo tried to push South Africa to the wall with a few boundaries, but Rabada foiled their intentions. He struck again by bringing Ashwin (8) forward off to a rising spitting cobra which brushed the shoulder of the bat to offer jumping substitute Mulder in the third slip.
The plucky Shardul Thakur and Rahul fought back to put together a crucial 43-run partnership for the 7th wicket before Rabada returned to accomplish his five-fer.
In the pre-lunch session, India got off to a positive start as they hammered three boundaries in the first four overs, with Yasashvi Jaiswal tucking and driving Rabada and Marco Jansen over the ropes.
India captain Rohit Sharma punched on the backfoot for his first boundary but mistimed his favourite pull-shot straight into the hands of debutant Nandre Burger at fine leg for 5.
Oozing with confidence after taking his maiden Test catch, Burger forced Jaiswal to edge behind the stumps to Verreynne for 17, which was studded with four boundaries.
Burger then sent back Shubman Gill for 2 after the No.3 batsman gloved one down the leg side to Verreynne to take his second catch of the match. The straight umpire did not rule him out, it was Verreynne who dispelled Bavuma’s doubts about going for the DRS and eventually got the decision in South Africa’s favour.
India could have been in deep trouble by losing another wicket if the hosts could have held on to two catches in quick succession. Jansen and Tony de Zorzi were the culprits as they dropped Shreyas and Virat, much to India’s delight.
Virat and Shreyas capitalised on the lifeline and executed some sparkling shots. Shreyas even smoked a six over deep backward square leg for six as India steadied the ship before the break.
Brief scores: India 176/7 (KL Rahul 39*, Virat Kohli 38; Kagiso Rabada 5-41) vs South Africa.
