Lagatar24 Desk
Centurion, Dec 30: India defeated South Africa by 113 runs on the final day of the first Test at Centurion, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
In the 305-run chase, the Indian team knocked South Africa out for 191, with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami each taking three wickets, while Mohammed Siraj and Ravichandran Ashwin each took two.
South Africa opened Day 5 with a score of 94/4, and Bumrah dealt the Proteas a major blow by dismissing skipper Dean Elgar (77).
Temba Bavuma (35*) led South Africa’s tenacious fightback after Elgar’s removal, but he kept losing partners at the other end as the hosts were bowled out minutes after lunch.
This is India’s first victory at the stadium. The team had previously played two matches in the citadel of South Africa. In their first appearance in Centurion in 2010, India lost by an innings and 25 runs, despite Sachin Tendulkar’s valiant 111. Despite Kohli’s 153, India lost by 135 runs in the second Test of the series eight years later.
Interestingly, this was South Africa’s first defeat at Centurion since February 2014, breaking their seven-match winning streak and third overall in all 27 Tests.
Prior on the fourth evening, Bumrah created not one, but two minutes of enchantment to thump over compact Rassier van der Dussen (11 off 65 balls) and night watchman Keshav Maharaj (8) to take off the has in total tatters. Chasing a never accomplished triumph target of 305, South Africa misplaced Aiden Markram within the moment over after the opener fizzled to require the bat absent in time from a Mohammed Shami conveyance that landed in a idealize upright crease, bounced a tad additional and nipped back in strongly to hit the beat of off. Mohammed Siraj at that point expelled Keegan Peterson (17) within the 15th over, drawing the exterior edge of the batsman.
After a hard 40-run stand between Van der Dussen and skipper Dean Elgar, the South Africans seemed to settle down before Bumrah left the former bewildered at the crease with an unplayable delivery. At the stroke of stumps, Maharaj succumbed to the opposition as Bumrah snuck in a superb yorker that went under his bat and rattled on his leg stump.
On the fourth day, India’s bowling exploits were preceded by a poor batting performance in which the visitors scored only 174 runs and set a target of 305 runs.
After electing to bat first, the visitors amassed 327 runs in the first innings. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, India’s openers, put on a third-century opening stand in a Test match in South Africa. Rahul’s 122 runs made him the highest-scoring Indian opener in a Test match in Centurion, and he was well supported by Mayank (60) and Ravindra Jadeja (50).
Shami’s 5 for 44, his route to his 200th Test wicket, then assisted India in dismissing South Africa for 197 runs. Bumrah and Shardul Thakur both took two wickets, while Siraj took one.
The second Test between India and New Zealand will begin on January 3 at the Wanderers Stadium.
