Led by super performances from bowlers and a majestic 185 from Dean Elgar, a dominant South Africa thrashed a listless India by an innings and 32 runs inside three days in the first Test at SuperSport Park on Thursday.
After having conceded a lead of 163 runs, as Elgar, along with fifties from Marco Jansen and David Bedingham, took South Africa to 408, India’s batting in the second innings was very much like a horror movie.
Their second innings ran till 34.1 overs, eight batters fell for single-digit scores as South Africa’s bowlers, led by Nandre Burger’s four-fer to take his debut match tally to seven scalps, made merry in their home conditions.
Talismanic batter Virat Kohli tried to avoid the ignominy of an innings defeat, scoring a fighting 76 off 82 balls. But with his team-mates falling without giving a fight, his knock wasn’t just enough to delay the inevitable as India were bowled out for 131, and are now 1-0 behind in the two-game series.
Post lunch, India resumed from 62/3 and Marco Jansen struck immediately as an uncomfortable looking Shreyas Iyer played all around a straighter delivery and inside-edged to his stumps. Kohli was determined to grind it out and picked a short and wide ball from Gerald Coetzee by punching above cover point for six.
Kohli continued to be exquisite, clipping Coetzee twice through leg-side for boundaries. But he was losing partners from the other end as KL Rahul went for a big drive off Nandre Burget and nicked to second slip. One brought two immediately as Ravichandran Ashwin punched away from the body and was caught at gully for a golden duck.
Kohli survived the hat-trick ball from Burger and notched up a 61-ball fifty with a wristy whip past mid-on for four. Shardul Thakur was dropped at first slip, but it didn’t cost much as an outside edge on being squared up was caught by gully off Kagiso Rabada.
Jasprit Bumrah couldn’t complete the second run and was run-out in pursuit of it, while Mohammed Siraj became the second batter in the Indian innings to be caught behind while trying to leave the bouncer from Burger, with review showing the ball had a spike while brushing the gloves.
Despite being nine down, Kohli went for the attack by slashing and lofting Burger for back-to-back fours. But Jansen took him out for 76 as Kohli’s attempt to pull over the bowler’s head ended in Rabada running in from long-on and making the dive to pluck a sensational catch out of thin air.
Brief Scores: India 245 and 131 in 34.1 overs (Virat Kohli 76; Nandre Burger 14-33) lost to South Africa 408 in 108.4 overs (Dean Elgar 185, Marco Jansen 84 not out; Jasprit Bumrah 4-69, Mohammed Siraj 2-91) by an innings and 32 runs
