South Africa closed an extraordinary see-saw first day of the second and final Test against India at Newlands on 62 for three in their second innings, trailing the tourists by 36 runs after 23 wickets and several records fell on Wednesday.
Seamer Mohammed Siraj took a career-best six for 15 as the visitors skittled out their hosts for 55 in the first innings after the latter elected to bat on a wicket offering plenty of assistance to the bowlers.
India were going well at 153 for four in reply before they lost six wickets without scoring, the first time this has happened in Tests. The list of unwanted milestones did not stop there for the visitors as they had six batsmen dismissed for ducks, equalling the record.
The first two innings lasted 349 balls, the second-fewest in 147 years of Test cricket. The only shorter instance was 287 deliveries between Australia and England in 1902.
The South Africa captain, Dean Elgar, was dismissed twice in the day in his final Test before his retirement, which he announced before the series. He scored four and 12.
South Africa were hit in their first innings by a superb nine-over spell from Siraj, who bowled an impeccable line and length and made full use of the movement off the surface. The home batters were at times the architects of their own downfall as they made poor decisions, especially the lower order, who tried to hit their way out of trouble.
South Africa’s paltry score was their lowest since 1932 at a venue where New Zealand were bowled out for 45 in 2013 and Australia for 47 in 2011. Their previous lowest total against India in Tests was 79 at Nagpur in 2015. At home it was 130 at Newlands in 2018.
India made a fast start in reply, led by Rohit Sharma (39) and Shubman Gill (36), before Virat Kohli struck a fluent 46. But just as they looked to be taking the game away from their hosts, seamer Lungi Ngidi took three wickets in an over as he found extra bounce off the wicket.
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Panic set in for the visitors in a dramatic collapseof six wickets in 11 deliveries, including the needless of run out of Siraj.
South Africa won the first test in Pretoria by an innings and 32 runs.
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