After Kagiso Rabada’s explosive five-wicket haul, India’s batting collapsed till KL Rahul came to the rescue.
Shreyas Iyer (31) and Virat Kohli (38) did well but were unable to capitalise.
After just 59 overs of play, India reached 208/8 at the end of the innings.
In the first 15 overs, India lost three wickets.
After SA decided to field, openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal immediately came under fire. The Indian captain was dismissed by Rabada in the fifth over.
Despite getting back on track, Jaiswal lost to Nandre Burger in the tenth over. It was Shubman Gill who left after two overs.
At the end of lunch, Kohli and Iyer helped India go from 24/3 to 91/3.
In Tests, Rabada dismisses Rohit for the sixth time.
Rabada has defeated Rohit with victory.
The Indian opener has scored 104 runs from 216 balls at a 17.33 average against the speedster six times in ten innings, according to ESPNcricinfo. It is Rohit’s 168 dot balls faced.
After troubling Rohit a few times with the fourth-stump channel, Rabada tricked him with a short ball and caught him at the boundary.
Rabada’s 500 international wickets
In international cricket, Rabada not only took a fifer but also reached 500 wickets.
Rabada is the seventh bowler from SA to accomplish this. In terms of international wickets for South Africa, he trails only Shaul Pollock (823), Dale Steyn (697), Makhaya Ntini (661), Allan Donald (602), Jacques Kallis (572), and Morne Morkel (535).
It’s interesting to note that no other bowler for the Proteas has reached 300 international wickets.
SA took four wickets in the second session.
After lunch, Rabada struck in the first over, ending Kohli and Iyer’s crucial partnership. He threw Iyer off balance.
Moreover, Rabada dismissed Kohli with a fantastic outswinger. Before losing to Rabada, Ravichandran Ashwin hit a few fours.
Rahul and Shardul Thakur, both 24 years old, then batted together for a period. But Rabada outwitted Thakur and got rid of him.
At tea, India was on 176/7.
Rahul delivered a forceful blow.
After India was reduced to 92/4, Rahul moved to the middle. As soon as India crossed 100, he lost Kohli on the other end.
With Ashwin and Thakur, Rahul forged vital alliances that helped India surpass 160.
Rahul continued to lose support, but he persevered on a solid pitch.
After 70 off 105 balls (10 fours and 2 sixes), he returned undefeated.