Team India displayed a phenomenal bowling performance during the opening session of Day 1 in the second and final Test against South Africa. After being asked to bowl, India dismantled the Proteas batting lineup, dismissing them for merely 55 in Cape Town as the hosts registered their lowest total against an Indian team in Test history. Mohammed Siraj was the star of the first innings, registering an incredible 6/15 figures, while Jasprit Bumrah and Mukesh Kumar picked two each.
India came on the back of a dismal innings-and-32-run loss in the first Test of the series in Centurion but showed no signs of being on the backfoot. The batting collapse began in the fourth over as Aiden Markram was caught at slip for two. Stand-in captain Dean Elgar, who had scored 185 in the first Test, was bowled for four by Siraj, who also accounted for both openers. Tony de Zorzi was caught behind, and Bumrah removed debutant Tristan Stubbs for three.
Also read: Watch: Virat Kohli masterminds Jansen's dismissal with tactically flawless plan; Siraj executes perfectly in 2nd Test
Despite a brief 19-run partnership for the fifth wicket between David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne, the Proteas couldn't sustain resistance. Within 10 deliveries, Siraj dismissed both Bedingham and Verreynne, with the latter's 15 being the highest score for South Africa. Marco Jansen also fell amid these dismissals, leaving the hosts struggling in the match. That was when Keshav Maharaj came into bat; as the SA star arrived at the crease, the speakers at the Newlands in Cape Town began playing the song ‘Ram Siya Ram’.
{{/usCountry}}Despite a brief 19-run partnership for the fifth wicket between David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne, the Proteas couldn't sustain resistance. Within 10 deliveries, Siraj dismissed both Bedingham and Verreynne, with the latter's 15 being the highest score for South Africa. Marco Jansen also fell amid these dismissals, leaving the hosts struggling in the match. That was when Keshav Maharaj came into bat; as the SA star arrived at the crease, the speakers at the Newlands in Cape Town began playing the song ‘Ram Siya Ram’.
{{/usCountry}}India's Virat Kohli, standing at the slips, made a heartwarming gesture as the song reverberated throughout the stadium.
Watch: Virat Kohli's reaction when Ram Siya Ram plays in Cape Town
Interestingly, Maharaj also shared a heartwarming moment with KL Rahul during the ODI series, when the same song was played as the SA star arrived at the crease. Rahul had then pointed out to Maharaj how the song is always played each time he came to bat. Maharaj agreed with a “yes” as Rahul broke into a smile.
Maharaj was dismissed for only 3 off 13 deliveries, becoming Mukesh Kumar's first Test wicket in on South African soil. Bumrah then got rid of Nandre Burger before Mukesh came back again to wrap up the innings by dismissing Kagiso Rabada.
The carnige at Newlands, however, only began. After bowling South Africa out for 55 - the lowest total by any team against India - the visitors got found themselves in a solid postion at 153 for 4. They had a lead of 98 runs with Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in the middle. That is when all hell broke loose. Rahul nicked one off Lungi Ngidi and before you know it, India lost their last six wickets in 11 balls, without adding a single a run to the total. This is a world record for most wickets at the same score in any format in international cricket. From 153/4, India were all out for 153. Ngidi bowled a triple wicket maiden and Rabada followed it up with two wickets int he next over while Siraj was run-out in between.
In their second innings, South Africa lost three wickets to reach 62.