Simon Harmer and Marco Jansen shared seven wickets to spearhead a remarkable comeback by South Africa as they bowled India out for just 189 in their first innings before the home side snatched the advantage back reducing the tourists to a miserable 93-7 at the close of the second day’s play in the first test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.
Having been bundled out for just 159 on the first day South Africa appeared to have bowled themselves right back into the game by conceding a first innings deficit of just 30 runs but left arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja claimed 4-29 on a dramatic day which saw no less than 16 wickets fall leaving the Proteas with a wafer-thin lead of just 63 runs. A three-day test match seems inevitable.
Left arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav trapped opener Ryan Rickelton (11) lbw to leave South Africa on 18-1 at tea but there was a procession of wickets in the final session with Jadej’s steep bounce and sharp turn having both Aiden Markram (4) and Tony de Zorzi (2) caught at short leg, Wiaan Mulder (11) caught by ‘keeper Rishabh Pant and Tristan Stubbs (5) clean bowled by a beauty which pitched on middle stump and clipped the top of off.
Kyle Verreynne (9) played a desperate slog-hoik against Axar Patel and was clean bowled while Marco Jansen, after surviving an lbw on appeal to his third ball, launched Axar for six over long on before an edge against Kuldeep deflected of Pant and into the hands of an alert KL Rahul at slip.
Captain Temba Bavuma (29*) remains South Africa’s only realistic hope of snatching the unlikeliest of victories but he will need a great deal of tail-wagging assistance from Corbin Bosch (1*), Harmer and Keshav Maharaj on the third morning.
India resumed on 37-1 at the start of the day and crawled to 75-1 before left hander Washington Sundar (29) edged offspinner Harmer (4-30) to Markram at slip and right handed opener KL Rahul mirrored the dismissal when he edged Maharaj to Markram who held onto a low, juggling catch.
Indian captain Shubman Gill slog-swept his third ball from Harmer to the boundary but played the shot with such gusto that he strained his neck and was forced to retire hurt on four and did not return to the field.
Pant’s typically entertaining counter-attack of 27 from 24 balls with a pair of fours and sixes ended shortly before lunch when he could only glove a fine bouncer from Corbin Bosch to ‘keeper Kyle Verreynne.
India were 138-4 at the break and a large lead still seemed likely but Harmer and Jansen (3-53) chipped away in tandem and wickets continued to fall, starting with an athletic, diving catch off his own bowling by Harner to dismiss Dhruv Jurel for 14.
The dangerous Jadeja (27) completed 4000 runs in test cricket before Harmer trapped him lbw with a ‘slider’ while Jansen had tailender Kuldeep Yadav caught by Verreynne before bowling Mohammad Siraj. Harmer ended the innings when Axar Patel (16) sliced a drive Jansen at backward point.
INDIA: Yashasvi Jaiswl, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wkt), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj.
SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj.
