SA vs. IND: Virat Kohli’s brilliant strategy to remove Jansen aids Siraj in completing a five-for on Day One

On the first day of the second Test at Newlands, Cape Town, Team India gave South Africa a run for their money, bowling them out for 55 runs in the opening session alone. Mohammed Siraj, a fast bowler, was on fire as he recorded his third fifer in Test matches and scalped his career-best figures of 6/15 in nine overs.

Siraj’s precise bowling and the contributions of the senior members knocked South Africa to its knees. When he entered the field to deliver the 16th over of the innings with the Proteas on 34/4, the right-arm seamer had already claimed three wickets in his opening seven overs. Siraj first dismissed David Bedingham, the half-centurion from the previous game, as a threat.

Marco Jansen strolled outside.

Former India skipper Virat Kohli advised the seamer to bowl Jansen an outswinger so that he may nip it off after observing him defend his opening two balls. Following his former captain’s instruction, Siraj bowled the very next delivery, putting Jansen on the front foot, right outside his off stump. Siraj finished with five wickets as the South African all-rounder ended up edging the ball straight to wicketkeeper KL Rahul.

South Africa were swept out for their lowest total since 1933 as the Hyderabad-born seamer concluded the innings with his first-ever six-fer in Test cricket. Along with Siraj, other players who claimed two wickets apiece were Jasprit Bumrah (2/25) and Mukesh Kumar (2/0).

In India’s innings, Rohit Sharma scored 39 points.

In the meantime, India lost their opening wicket, Yashasvi Jaiswal, cheaply again in the second innings when he sliced one back onto his stumps against Kagiso Rabada and was out for a duck. But skipper Rohit Sharma was playing really well, as he and Shubman Gill scored 55 runs for the second wicket.

Even though he avoided two near-LBW calls and eventually edged one to slips against Nandre Burger after reaching 39, he was unable to extend his innings. India were 94/2 after 17 overs, with Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli at the crease.