KL Rahul’s wicketkeeping abilities have frequently been scrutinized, raising doubts about his role as a specialist wicketkeeper in the Indian Test side. Critics argue that Test cricket demands a dedicated keeper due to its rigorous nature. In the second Test between India and South Africa, KL Rahul added fuel to this debate by dropping a straightforward catch, notably that of centurion Aiden Markram.
Jasprit Bumrah created an edge off Aiden Markram’s bat when he was on 73, seemingly bringing an end to his innings. However, KL Rahul’s unexpected drop of the regulation catch left both Virat Kohli and bowler Bumrah astonished. The dropped catch video circulated widely, highlighting the missed opportunity.
While Rahul’s fielding blunder was a talking point, Mohammed Siraj stole the spotlight with a remarkable six-wicket haul in a menacing morning spell. His career-best figures of 6/15 restricted South Africa to their lowest post-apartheid score of 55.
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However, India’s joy was short-lived as, in the final session, they lost six wickets in just eleven balls, diminishing their lead to 98 runs after reaching 153 for 4.
KL Rahul dropped a regulation catch of Aiden Markram (73) #KLRahul #INDvsSA #SAvsIND pic.twitter.com/V0ACuF5puD
— Outofaukaat (@outofaukaat) January 4, 2024
Remarkably, six Indian batsmen failed to open their accounts, while the one not out contributor did not score, creating a statistician’s nightmare. Lungi Ngidi (3/30) and Kagiso Rabada (3/38) capitalized on the situation, reducing the lead to less than 100.
The opening day witnessed a total of 23 wickets falling, a rarity in Test cricket, with South Africa scoring 62 for three in their second innings at stumps, trailing by 36 runs. Despite the chaos, Aiden Markram stood solid in the middle, batting at 32. The statistical anomaly of 25 wickets falling on Day 1 of a Test match remains an Ashes Test record from 1902.
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Dean Elgar, in his final Test match, faced a challenging day, getting out twice, while Mukesh Kumar (2/0 and 2/25) impressed with consistent line and length, gaining movement against left-handers. The prospect of the match extending into the third day appears unlikely given the frenetic pace of events.
