In the second inning, rookie Nandre Burger picked up 4/33 to help the hosts bowl out India for just 131 runs. At SuperSport Park in Centurion, South Africa humiliated India on the third day of the first Test match, winning by an innings and thirty-two runs. Dean Elgar’s incredible century (185 off 287) gave the hosts a commanding 163-run advantage in the first inning.
Dean Elgar (140*) and Marco Jansen were at the crease when the Proteas resumed their innings on 256/5 to start the day. The pair helped their team push the lead above 100 runs by scoring 111 runs for the sixth wicket. Elgar continued his marathon knock and achieved his second-highest Test score of his career (185), before Shardul Thakur removed him to make the breakthrough.
Gerald Coetzee (19 off 18) provided Jansen with strong support as he remained to hold one end after his departure. With captain Temba Bavuma sidelined due to injury, the all-rounder continued to be unbeaten at 84*. The best bowler for India was Jasprit Bumrah (4/69), as South Africa was bowled out for 408.
India failed to get off to a good start as well, trailing 163 runs after the first inning. Kagiso Rabada took apart Captain Rohit Sharma’s stumps and dismissed him for a duck once more. Burger removed Yashasvi Jaiswal at the other end, then Marco Jansen dismissed Shubman Gill (26 off 37) with ease following a solid opening to his inning. Losing his stumps against Jansen, Shreyas Iyer (6 off 12) suffered the same fate.
In the second inning, Virat Kohli made a heroic 76.
After coming back into the attack, Burger removed India’s first-inning centurion, KL Rahul (4) and Ravichandran Ashwin (0 off 1) in successive balls, leaving them trailing at 105/7. At the other end, Virat Kohli was in good form, as he quickly reached his 30th half-century off of just 61 balls.
Kagiso Rabada made a superb catch while sprinting from long on to end the Indian innings after he failed to muster any support, removing him for 76 (82). Consequently, India lost the match after being bowled out for 131 in just 34.1 overs.
In the meantime, comments on India’s humiliation were rife on X. Listed below are a few posts:
After 1763 balls
Today Virat Kohli Smashed Six in a Test match#INDvSA— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) December 28, 2023
Final Frontier should be renamed ‘Dean Elgar’.
One man standing between India and a series win in South Africa. On two consecutive tours. #SAvInd— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) December 28, 2023
It would be unfair not to acknowledge this inning of Virat Kohli on South African soil. Played brilliantly.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 28, 2023
Puri tarah se ghutne teke hai team ne. Expected better. #INDvsSA
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 28, 2023
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) December 28, 2023
India
