The less we talk about the Boxing Day Test in Centurion, the better it is, of course from Team India’s perspective as it was a complete disaster in every sense. With the two-match Test series against South Africa on the line, India landed in Cape Town seeking redemption, and the under fire bowlers, led by Mohammed Siraj’s career-best six-wicket haul, responded with a spectacular show to bundle out the hosts for a paltry 55 – their lowest ever total post readmission in Tests.
In what Dean Elgar deemed as an “interesting wicket” while electing to bat in his farewell Test, India needed just 23.2 overs and two hours to skittle South Africa for the lowest total by any team against India in Test cricket. This is also South Africa’s lowest Test total since 1932.
Siraj came up with figures of 6 for 15 to become only the second Indian pacer after jasprit Bumrah, and fifth pacer overall to take six wickets in a single session since 2016. New Zealand’s Trent Boult (twice), South African Vernon Philander and England’s Chris Woakes are the other names in this elite list.
The Hyderabad right-arm pacer needed only nine overs to set up the procession of the South African batters that started with the wicket of Aiden Markram for 2 with a perfectly pitched delivery that kissed the outside edge of the bat for Yashasvi Jaiswal to complete the catch at third slip.
After having Markram nicking off, Siraj had Elgar chopping on to reduce the Proteas to 8 for 2 in the sixth over. South Africa soon fell from 8 for 2 to 11 for 3 and 15 for 4 as India’s new ball bowlers kept targeting both the stumps keeping the close-in catchers in play.
Tristan Stubbs, who was handed a Test debut earlier in the day, managed only 3 before Bumrah had him offering a bat-pad catch to Rohit Sharma at short leg. In the very next over, Siraj had the impressive Tony de Zorzi fending to Rohit at short leg and then caught by KL Rahul down the leg side.
Siraj claimed his fifer with a double wicket maiden in his 8th over as David Bedingham, the only second SA batter after wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne (15) to move into double figures tickled Siraj behind for 12, before Marco Jansen perished for a duck in similar fashion. He then completed his six-fer by inducing Verreynne for an outside edge towards second slip where Shubman Gill latched onto it to reduce the home side to 45 for 7.
Meanwhile, Mukesh Kumar, who replaced Shardul Thakur as one of the two changes in the Indian lineup along with Ravindra Jadeja in place of Ravichandran Ashwin, took care of the tail, ending with figures of 2/0. Prasidh Krishna, the fourth seamer went wicketless, as Bumrah also chipped in with a couple of wickets.