South Africa’s Aiden Markram (R) plays a shot during the first day of the second test. Photo: AFP
GUWAHATI:
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets as India hammered South Africa with late strikes to leave the tourists 247-6 at stumps on the first day of the second Test on Saturday.
Tristan Stubbs, who made 49, and skipper Temba Bavuma (41) put on 84 runs for the third wicket after South Africa opted to bat in their bid for a first Test series win in India in 25 years.
The World Test champions won the first Test of the two-match series by 30 runs at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.
Ravindra Jadeja sent back Bavuma with his left-arm spinner in the final session before Kuldeep denied Stubbs his fifty to get a big crowd roaring at the weekend in Guwahati.
Left-armer Kuldeep (3-48) dismissed Wiaan Mulder for 13 and pace bowler Mohammed Siraj ended Tony de Zorzi’s defiance on 28 with the second new ball to hammer South Africa further.
“A bit disappointing at the end there,” Stubbs told official broadcasters. “I think all of us in the top six got in and nobody made it that big.
“The (field) wasn’t free. You felt comfortable, but the scoreboard wasn’t going anywhere.”
Due to the early sunrise and rapidly fading light in Northeast India, the normal refreshment order has been reversed for the match, scheduling the pre-lunch tea break in the first Test match at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.
Left-armer Senuran Muthusamy, on 25, and all-rounder Kyle Verreynne, on one, were batting when bad light forced the stumps with only 81.5 overs to spare, short of the usual 90 overs on the day.
Aiden Markram, who scored 38, and Ryan Rickelton (35) fell either side of the first break to Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep after an opening partnership of 82.
Promoted to number three in the batting order, Bavuma and Stubbs then got to the grind and slowly took the attack to the home side with regular boundaries as the pair used their legs against the Indian spinners.
Jadeja broke through with his left-arm spin to dismiss the in-form Bavuma, who scored his only fifty in the first wicket in Kolkata after the batting fell at mid-on.
Stubbs tried to maintain the pace as he hit Jadeja for a six, but Kuldeep soon drove him to slip.
Play began 30 minutes earlier than usual, with the order of session breaks reversed, meaning tea came before lunch at India’s newest Test venue, which attracted an opening-day crowd of over 15,000 fans.
Bumrah had Markram bowled at the tap of tea when the batsman slotted a delivery into his stumps.
Kuldeep struck on the third ball after the break to reduce Rickelton’s stay to 82 balls.
The openers had started cautiously and Markram got off the mark on his 17th ball with a crisp cover for four off Bumrah.
Bumrah almost got his revenge on the next ball only for KL Rahul to miss a set-up chance at second slip. The bowler covered his face in frustration.
South Africa, who recently drew 1-1 in Pakistan, are chasing a first series win in India since Hansie Cronje’s side triumphed there in 2000.
a href=”https://tribune.com.pk/story/2578611/south-africa-247-6-after-indias-kuldeep-takes-three”>Source link
