Kagiso Rabada kept taking wickets throughout the opening day (AP)
Brief Scores: India (1st innings): 208-8 (59 overs) [KL Rahul: 70* (105), Virat Kohli: 38 (64); Kagiso Rabada 5/44 (17), Nandre Burger 2/50 (15)] by stumps on Day 1
Kagiso Rabada decimated India’s star-studded batting line-up as South Africa took Day 1 honours of the first Test of their two-match series at Centurion Park.
Rabada wrecks Indian batting before early stumps
Kagiso Rabada trapped Indian captain Rohit Sharma with a well-directed short delivery to signal an early advantage for South Africa.
Emboldened by his new-ball strike, pacemate and debutant Nandre Burger removed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in quick succession a while later to bag his first set of Test wickets.
Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer scored valiant 30s and took India to lunch without further casualty through their fighting 68-run partnership. However, Rabada ensnared both cricketers in the post-lunch session and also accounted for the wickets of all-rounders Ravichandran Ashwin and Shardul Thakur to complete the 15th five-wicket haul of his Test career.
KL Rahul, on the other hand, led India’s recovery with a fighting 70*. The wicketkeeper-batsman bludgeoned two sixes and ten boundaries despite being forced to bat with the tail after Thakur’s dismissal, and in doing so, took his side past the 200-run mark.
Team India eventually reached 208-8 off 59 overs before bad light called for an early stumps on Day 1. Rahul will resume the Indian innings on Day 2 alongside Mohammed Siraj.
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