Indian great Sachin Tendulkar, in high spirits, took the Mumbai-bound flight on December 3. Despite being 0-1 down in the series, India had executed a thrilling comeback, dismissing South Africa for 55 in the first innings of the second Test – marking their lowest total since 1932. The vivid memory of witnessing Mohammed Siraj deliver one of the most exceptional spells by an Indian pacer in overseas conditions lingered in the little master's mind.
"Siraj weaving magic at Newlands! Impeccable length and a spellbinding display of seam bowling!" he tweeted. He didn't know that when he landed in Mumbai, India would also be all out.
Even after South Africa chose to bat and got out quickly, things got worse for them. In response, they lost six wickets at the same score, making it a record. The New Year's Test between India and South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town had a lot of wickets falling on the first day, like it was bound to happen. On December 3, a total of 23 wickets fell because the batters from both teams found it hard to deal with the bouncy and unpredictable pitch at Newlands.
It's surprising that a team scoring only 55 runs in their first Test innings could still be in a good position to win the match by the end of the day. After what transpired in India's innings, South Africa have a legitimate reason to believe they are still competitive.
Starting at 154/4 and in a strong position to establish a significant lead that could potentially bat South Africa out of the match, India unexpectedly lost their last six wickets in just 11 balls without adding any runs. This marks the highest number of wickets falling at the same score in an international match.
When Tendulkar reached home, he was astonished by the scorecard. Not only did India get all out, but South Africa also lost three wickets in their second innings. In just over three hours, 13 wickets fell, and all this happened after the team winning the toss was bowled out in the first session.
"Cricket in ‘24 begins with 23 wickets falling in a single day. Unreal! Boarded a flight when South Africa was all out, and now that I'm home, the TV shows South Africa has lost 3 wickets. What did I miss?" Tendulkar wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
As India secured the lead, their run rate was over six runs per over. Captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were aggressively scoring. However, the unpredictable nature of the Newlands pitch meant that the bowlers remained a constant threat. Nandre Burger produced a delivery that bounced awkwardly from a length, leading to Rohit's dismissal for 36. Virat Kohli then partnered with Gill. The pair displayed a positive approach, dispatching overpitched deliveries to the boundary and handling those pitched on a good length with confidence.
Similar to Rohit, Gill also faced a delivery from Burger that bounced more than expected, resulting in an edge caught in the slip cordon. The young left-arm bowler, in only his second Test match, found his rhythm. He delivered a ball to Shreyas Iyer in that area, leading to Iyer's dismissal for a duck.
In the final session, Kohli and KL Rahul guided India past the 150-run mark, suggesting that the pitch was settling down. However, things took an unexpected turn. Rahul played a shot outside the off stump, resulting in an edge caught by the keeper. Lungi Ngidi secured his first wicket of the match. What unfolded in the next 10 balls was truly astonishing.
The following four Indian batters were dismissed without scoring, and Kohli also fell for 46. Lungi Ngidi (3/30) and Kagiso Rabada (3/38) claimed five of those six wickets, restricting the lead to below 100 and securing a crucial psychological advantage in a day where 23 wickets fell.
South Africa approached their second innings with more caution, combining aggression to reach 62 for three by stumps and reducing the deficit to 36 runs. Aiden Markram (32 batting) displayed solidity in the middle. The highest number of wickets lost on the opening day of a Test is 25, a record set in an Ashes Test back in 1902.
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