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]IND vs SA 1st Test Highlights: South Africa Beat India by 30 Runs in the Series Opener
by K D Mishra
After a struggling batting performance on a turning track, South Africa defeated host India by 30 runs in the first Test, thanks to the brilliance of Simon Harmer's spin. With this victory, South Africa took a 1-0 lead in the series. Team India was set a target of 124 runs on the third day of play, but before the tea break, without captain Shubman Gill, India were reduced to 93 runs. Shubman Gill was out of action due to a neck strain.
On the third day of the first Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Team India bundled out South Africa for 153 runs. Chasing a target of 124 runs after a 30-run lead in the first innings, India lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal without scoring a run. Just as India was trying to recover from Yashasvi's dismissal, KL Rahul was also dismissed. After losing two wickets for just one run, South Africa lost a quick wicket, securing the match. Defending 124 for South Africa, Simon Harmer bowled brilliantly.
Harmer took four wickets for just 21 runs in 14 overs in the fourth innings. Harmer dismissed Dhruv Jure, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav. Keshav Maharaj then sealed South Africa's victory in his ninth over by dismissing Axar Patel and then Mohammed Siraj. In addition to these two, Marco Jansen provided two early breakthroughs with the new ball, while Aiden Markram also took a wicket.
The Indian team's batting failed miserably in the fourth innings of the first Test against South Africa. Chasing a target of 124, Team India had seven batsmen fail to reach double figures. Washington Sundar and Axar Patel certainly raised hopes for India at one point in the innings, but they failed to lead the team to victory on a pitch conducive to spin bowling. Sundar scored 31 runs off 92 balls for Team India. Axar also scored 26 runs off 17 balls, studded with two sixes and one six. Ravindra Jadeja scored 18, and Dhruv Jurel scored 13.
On a pitch conducive to spin bowling, neither innings managed to reach 200 runs. South Africa, batting first, were bundled out for 159 in their first innings. Jasprit Bumrah took five wickets for Team India in the first innings. Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each, while Axar took one wicket. In response, Team India managed to score 189 runs in their first innings, taking a 30-run lead. KL Rahul top-scored for Team India in this innings with 39 runs.
The South African team, which was all out for just 159 runs in the first innings, was in a bad shape in the second innings as well. However, thanks to captain Temba Bavuma's unbeaten 55, the visitors managed to score 154 runs. Temba, along with Corbin Boss, shared a 44-run partnership in 79 balls in the lower order, which proved to be the turning point of the match. Corbin Boss also scored 25 runs in 37 balls.
