IND vs SA: Awesome start to Day 1 as Mohammed Siraj claims 3, Jasprit Bumrah gets debutant's wicket

Pacers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah showcased an outstanding performance at Newlands in Cape Town against South Africa.

Mohammed Siraj

Exactly what Team India needed following their loss in the first Test by an innings. Pacers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah showcased an outstanding performance at Newlands in Cape Town. Siraj dismissed both opening batters, Aiden Markram and skipper Dean Elgar and later also got the better of Tony de Zorzi, while debutant Tristan Stubbs did not stay for long as was sent back by Bumrah in the second Test against South Africa.

In pursuit of the first wicket, Siraj made an early breakthrough with a pitched-up delivery around off. Markram, compelled to play, produced a defensive push. The ball, shaping away late, caught the outside edge. Yashasvi Jaiswal, stationed at third slip, executed a sharp, low catch, and Markram departed for 2(10). This marked Siraj's wicket-maiden over.

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Returning for his next spell, Siraj claimed the significant wicket of skipper Dean Elgar. Despite Elgar's impressive 180+ runs in the first Test, Siraj ensured he didn't settle in this time. Delivering a short-of-length ball well outside off, Elgar aimed to force it through the covers with an angled blade. With minimal foot movement, he ended up dragging it onto his stumps via an inside edge. Elgar, bowled for 4(15), stood in disbelief before making the long walk back.

Bumrah delivered an in-swinging delivery on the middle stump from a short length, featuring a hint of additional bounce. Stubbs, positioned half-forward to defend, managed to get an inside edge onto his left thigh. Consequently, the ball popped up in the air, presenting a straightforward catch for the Indian captain stationed at short leg, who made an easy grab. Debutant Tristan Stubbs walked back for 3.

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However, Siraj remained unsatisfied; he hungered for more, and the Proteas found themselves four wickets down. Siraj delivered an inswinging, fuller-length delivery targeting the pads. Tony de Zorzi attempted to glance it away but only succeeded in getting an inside edge. KL Rahul, positioned to his right, made a comfortable catch, and the batsman departed, having scored just 2 runs.

Netizens also lauded both the bowlers for their incredible bowling in the 2nd Test.

In the lineup for the 2nd Test against South Africa, Team India has introduced two changes to their playing XI. The seasoned all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, has made a comeback to the Test setup in the ongoing edition of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar

South Africa (Playing XI): Dean Elgar(c), Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne(w), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi.

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