SA crush listless India to win opening Test
Centurion: Intimidated by pace and scarred by extra bounce, an under-prepared India suffered an embarrassing innings and 32 run loss to a far superior South Africa in the opening Test which ended inside three days here.
Having scored 245 in the first innings, the Indian batters managed only 131 in 34.1 overs in the second innings after South Africa managed a handsome 408 in its first essay.
South Africa thus took an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match series and India’s dreams of winning a Test series in Rainbow Nation for the first time in 31 years lay in tatters.
Only redemption now could be 1-1 draw if they managed to square the series during the New Year’s Test in Cape Town.
Indian team put up a shoddy batting show, which signified its cluelessness and singular lack of preparedness for a tough assignment like this.
It has been a horrible last six to seven weeks for skipper Rohit Sharma, who lost World Cup final, was removed from Mumbai Indians captaincy two weeks back and now didn’t look like a leader that made him an instant favourite during the World Cup.
The team also looked a bit like its skipper, dishevelled and without any plan B for course correction.
As Bob Marley’s iconic “Don’t worry, Everything Gonna be Alright” blared from loudspeakers, the Indian team must be wondering how nothing went alright through entire course of the match.
The incomparable Kagiso Rabada (2/32 in 12 overs) along with left-arm seamers Nandre Burger (4/33 in 10) and Marco Jansen (3/36 in 7.1 overs) made the Indian batters hop, skip and jump as the capacity crowd enjoying their Christmas and New Year’s vacation lapped up every moment of action with great enthusiasm.
The result isn’t one bit surprising but the manner of abject surrender will certainly haunt Rohit Sharma for the longest time.
Since Adelaide Test match, which was also a Boxing Day’ Test back in 2020-21 series where India were all-out for 36, never has an Indian team looked so ill-equipped to handle conditions that was diabolically opposite of what they get in sub-continent.
With India’s third and fourth pacers leaking runs galore, South Africa managed 408 in the first innings as Indians gave a lovely
“farewell present” to Dean Elgar, who played an uncharacteristically attacking innings of 185 in his penultimate Test.
Even Marco Jansen (84 not out off 147 balls) made merry on a track where fast bowlers would have been licking their lips.
With 163 runs in arrears, there was little chance of survival on a track where the ball was flying around and also jagging a fair bit.
Once Elgar and Jansen batted India out of the match, least one expected
was a decent fightback but save Virat Kohli (76), who showed why he is cut above the rest in terms of technique and temperament, others were found wanting.
He was the only one, who could partially conquer the bounce and got his body behind the line to cover the seam movement and also rode the bounce to get his 12 boundaries and a six.
The extra bounce found each and everyone wanting while skipper Rohit was done in by another picture perfect seam-up delivery by Rabada, which compelled the Indian skipper to close his bat face and see the delivery deviate just enough to peg back his off-stump.
