South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada took five wickets, but a fighting innings by KL Rahul kept Indian hopes alive on the first day of the first Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Tuesday. India was 208 for eight when bad light followed by rain brought an early close. Rabada took five for 44, his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Rahul, who made a century to set up an Indian win on the same ground two seasons ago, was unbeaten on 70. Rabada was outstanding for the hosts after they sent India in to bat on a pitch that had been undercover because of rain for 40 hours leading up to the morning of the match.
However, South Africa failed to take full advantage of helpful conditions. Left-arm fast bowler Nandre Burger was impressive in his first spell in Test cricket, taking two early wickets, but neither Marco Jansen nor Gerald Coetzee could find consistent control. Rabada and Burger reduced India to 24 for three, and India could have been in deeper trouble if South Africa had not missed chances from Virat Kohli (38) and Shreyas Iyer (31) in the early stages of a partnership that yielded 68 runs for the fourth wicket. Rahul batted with composure and added 41 of the 44 runs scored for the loss of Jasprit Bumrah’s wicket after Thakur’s dismissal. When play was halted, Rahul had faced 105 balls and hit ten fours and two sixes.
South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada was the star of the show on the first day of the first Test against India at SuperSport Park in Centurion. Rabada took five wickets, his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket, but a fighting innings by KL Rahul kept Indian hopes alive. India was 208 for eight when bad light followed by rain brought an early close. Rabada was outstanding for the hosts after they sent India in to bat on a pitch that had been undercover because of rain for 40 hours leading up to the morning of the match.
Left-arm fast bowler Nandre Burger was impressive in his first spell in Test cricket, taking two early wickets, but neither Marco Jansen nor Gerald Coetzee could find consistent control. Rahul batted with composure and added 41 of the 44 runs scored for the loss of Jasprit Bumrah’s wicket after Thakur’s dismissal. When play was halted, Rahul had faced 105 balls and hit ten fours and two sixes. The first day of the Test match was an exciting display of cricket, with both teams showing their strengths and weaknesses. The match promises to be a thrilling contest between two top-class teams.