The second Test between South Africa and India gets off to a manic start as both teams suffer batting collapses.
India has suffered a spectacular collapse, losing six batters for no runs as 23 wickets fell on a crazy opening day of their second Test against South Africa at Newlands.
Resuming on 153-4 after tea, the home team ran through India’s batting order to bowl them out for 153 in the space of 11 deliveries with Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Nandre Burger snapping up three wickets each.
South Africa’s stand-in skipper Dean Elgar was at a loss to explain a frenetic opening day but said South Africa will fancy their chances of victory if they can set India a target of 100 or more.
“I would take 100 all day,” Elgar told reporters. “When our bowlers click, they can rip through any batting lineup, and on this wicket, that is possible.”
Elgar was out for 4 and 12 in his final Test before retirement, having won the toss and elected to bat first on what he knew would be a tricky surface.
“I didn’t know it would play in that way, though. With the naked eye, it did not look so bad,” he said. “But it’s one of those wickets where if you knuckle down, you never know what can happen.
Earlier, South Africa were bowled out for just 55 in 23.2 overs, sliding to their lowest total since being readmitted to Test cricket in 1991 after Mohammed Siraj claimed a Test best haul of 6-15.
South Africa then reached the close of play on 62-3 in their second innings, trailing by 36 runs overall with Aiden Markram unbeaten on 36 and David Bedingham seven not out.
