Cape Town’s Newlands Cricket Ground witnessed a cricket match unlike any other on Wednesday, a day of unprecedented collapses, record-breaking bowling, and unwavering resilience that left both teams bruised but India holding a narrow lead.
The day began with chaos, the green Newlands pitch offering treacherous bounce and movement. South Africa, batting first, crumbled for a paltry 55, dismissed within 21 overs. Mohammed Siraj orchestrated the demolition, ripping through the Proteas’ top order with a career-best 6 for 15 – a spell etched in history as the best bowling figures by an Indian fast bowler in South Africa.
But the drama wasn’t confined to one innings. In a bizarre twist, India responded with their own mini-collapse, six wickets tumbling for no runs – the first instance of such a calamity in the history of Test cricket. The pitch, behaving like a temperamental teenager, continued to confound even the established stars.
Amidst the wreckage, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma steadied the ship, providing a much-needed 47 to take India past South Africa’s total. However, Lungi Ngidi’s late burst with three wickets in four overs put the brakes on India’s progress, leaving them precariously placed at 198/8 at stumps.
The day belonged to bowlers, with batsmen across both teams facing an arduous ordeal. Only seven double-digit scores were registered across three innings, highlighting the challenging nature of the pitch. Aiden Markram’s resilient 68 was the sole beacon of stability for South Africa in their second innings, leaving them trailing by 36 runs at close of play.
With under two days remaining and conditions unlikely to change dramatically, the stage is set for a nerve-wracking finale. If the match wraps up before lunch on Thursday, it will etch itself in history as the shortest Test ever played.
India, despite surrendering six wickets for a pittance, holds the upper hand thanks to Siraj’s fiery spell and Rohit‘s anchor innings. Yet, South Africa, aided by Ngidi’s late strikes and Markram’s grit, remains very much in the contest. One thing is certain: the remaining sessions promise edge-of-the-seat cricket, with the victor likely being the one who manages to tame the untamed Newlands surface.
Also read : https://newstym.com/web-stories/top-5-most-expensive-cities-in-the-world/
