Srinagar: It was epic day of Test Cricket in Cape Town between South Africa and India with 23 wickets falling on Day 1 with India losing 6 wickets for no run.
India lost their final six wickets in 11 balls without scoring a single run. It is only the sixth occurrence in Test cricket’s 147-year history where 23 or more wickets have fallen during a single day’s play.
To explain such an epic collapse , former India cricketer and coach who is a legendary commentator made an epic hilarious line that has gone viral.
“My goodness,” said former India coach and player Ravi Shastri on commentary before delivering an iconic line. “Yes, 153-4 (to) 153 all out. If someone went around the corner for a dump and has come back, India have been bowled out for 153.”
The wickets started tumbling after just 20 deliveries of the Newlands Test. India quick Mohammed Siraj had Aiden Markram caught in the slips to take the first of his six wickets, conceding just 15 runs in the process. From there, the visitors never looked back.
Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, leading India’s attack, exerted constant pressure, bowling 17 of India’s 23.2 overs. Bumrah earned two wickets for his efforts, while seamer Mukesh Kumar also claimed a couple of scalps. This marked only the latter’s second Test appearance.
Only two South Africans, David Bedingham (12) and Kyle Verreynne (15), managed to reach double figures on their way to a dismal total of 55. It stands as the fourth-lowest Test score ever recorded at Newlands and South Africa’s poorest innings in the format since February 1932.
Kagiso Rabada responded by dismissing India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck, but the visitors continued to dominate thereafter. They surged to 105-2, hinting at a significant first-innings total, just days after South Africa secured an innings victory at Centurion.
However, the game took a dramatic turn as India reached 153-4. The tourists lost six wickets without adding any runs, securing a first-innings lead of just 98 runs. Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Nandre Burger each claimed three wickets, reviving the Test, while Siraj suffered a comical run-out.
Dean Elgar bid farewell to Test cricket during South Africa’s second innings, concluding his legendary career as an opener. Elgar’s final innings began positively, with the hosts reaching 37 without losing a wicket, but Kumar’s return to the attack resulted in more dismissals.
Elgar was the first South African batter to depart, scoring only 12 runs before Kumar dismissed Tony de Zorzi caught behind for a single run. Bumrah followed suit, dismissing Tristan Stubbs in a similar manner and at the same score. The hosts found relief in reaching stumps at 62-3, trailing by 36 runs.
This marks the first instance of 23 or more wickets falling on a single day’s play since the encounter between India and Afghanistan in Bangalore back in 2018. The highest number of wickets to fall in a day occurred in July 1888 during the match between England and Australia at Lord’s, totalling 27 dismissals.