Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who took a flight to Mumbai was left surprised seeing the scoreboard between India and South Africa after the end of Day 1 play in the second test of the two-match test series.
After going behind 0-1 in the series, India had just mounted a spectacular comeback, bowling out South Africa for 55 runs, led by Mohammed Siraj. If being bowled out in the first session after opting to bat wasn’t enough, the visitors followed that up by losing six wickets at the same score to rewrite history.
The first day of the New Year’s Test between India and South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town saw wickets fall as if by magic. The second test saw 23 wickets were lost as batters of both the teams were perplexed by the Newlands pitch’s uneven and unpredictable bounce.
When Sachin Tendulkar arrived home after the flight he took his X handle, the little master stated that he couldn’t believe the scorecard. South Africa also lost three wickets in their second innings after India was all out. In a span of a little more than three hours, 13 wickets had gone and this after the team winning the toss was bowled out in the first session.
Cricket in ‘24 begins with 23 wickets falling in a single day.
Unreal!
Boarded a flight when South Africa was all out, and now that I'm home, the TV shows South Africa has lost 3 wickets.
What did I miss?#SAvIND— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 3, 2024
“Cricket in ‘24 begins with 23 wickets falling in a single day. Unreal! Boarded a flight when South Africa was all out, and now that I’m home, the TV shows South Africa has lost 3 wickets. What did I miss?” Tendulkar wrote on X.
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul led India past 150 in the second session. The pitch seemed to be levelling off after some initial movements just before Rahul flashed one outside the off stump, but it was edged to the keeper.
Lungi Ngidi took his first wicket of the game and the Men in Blue were batters were dismissed for the same score in the span of the next ten balls.
As 23 wickets fell on the first day, Lungi Ngidi (3/30) and Kagiso Rabada (3/38) took five of those six wickets, keeping the lead below 100 and securing the vital psychological advantage. South Africa were more cautious despite being aggressive, scoring 62 for three at stumps in their second innings to cut the margin to 36 runs at the end of Day 1 play.