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Steyn-less SA attack threw India onto the mat
By Aditya Pratap - Jan 8, 2018 3:44 pm
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Shami took India off to a sensational start.

We finally got some play on the fourth day of Cape Town Test match between India and South Africa after rain spoiled day three which would have been a different kind of day in itself. The pitch was covered for two nights and one rainy day, which made it more English kind of a surface.

The day saw as many as 18 wickets and lots of action where host South Africa ended up on the happier side as their first innings’ lead proved decisive. India lost the first Test match by 72 runs despite showing a very good fight throughout the game.

Resuming their innings from 65/2, Proteas lost next eight wickets for the same number of runs. From the second over of the day, wickets kept tumbling at regular interval. Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar proved to be too hot to handle on a spiced-up 22-yard strip as they snared all remaining wickets to dismiss host for 130.

It was India’s turn to dance on South African pacer’s tune, who were fielding short to a champion called Dale Steyn. Indians got off to a slow start before getting three wickets down in no time. Skipper Virat Kohli came out from his first innings’ failure and stitched a good partnership with Rohit Sharma, but a false shot brought fall of Kohli, which triggered another mini-collapse and this time visiting team lost another four wickets.

India was thrown into the black hole by their batsmen after reducing from 71/3 to 82/7. Ravichandran Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar tried to do a jailbreak and they successfully moved their foot in that direction, but only till Vernon Philander seal the deal in apiece of 4 balls.

At the end, India’s second essay got concluded on 135 all-out, where Philander was the wrecker in chief with his career best figures of 6/42 and later he adjudged man of the match.

It will be a hard task for Team India to come over from being 1-0 down in the three-match series, but they are capable of that, only they just need a change in playing XI to strengthen every aspect of the squad. It is all likely; KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane may swap with Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma for the second Test in Centurion to be played from January 13.