28 December,2023 08:40 PM IST | Centurion | mid-day online correspondent
South Africa`s Kagiso Rabada (L) celebrates after the dismissal of India`s Rohit Sharma (C) during the third day of the first cricket Test (Pic: AFP)
Intimidated by pace and scarred by extra bounce, an under-prepared India suffered an embarrassing innings and 32 run loss to a far superior Proteas in the SA vs IND 1st Test which ended inside three days.
Having scored 245 in the first innings, the Indian batters managed only 131 in 34.1 overs in the second innings after South Africa managed a handsome 408 in its first essay.
South Africa thus took an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match series and India's dreams of winning a Test series in Rainbow Nation for the first time in 31 years lay in tatters.
Only redemption now could be 1-1 draw if they managed to square the series during the New Year's Test in Cape Town.
Indian team put up a shoddy batting show, which signified its cluelessness and singular lack of preparedness for a tough assignment like this.
It has been a horrible last six to seven weeks for skipper Rohit Sharma, who lost World Cup final, was removed from Mumbai Indians captaincy two weeks back and now didn't look like a leader that made him an instant favourite during the World Cup.
The team also looked a bit like its skipper, dishevelled and without any plan B for course correction.
The incomparable Kagiso Rabada (2/32 in 12 overs) along with left-arm seamers Nandre Burger (4/33 in 10) and Marco Jansen (3/36 in 7.1 overs) made the Indian batters hop, skip and jump as the capacity crowd enjoying their Christmas and New Year's vacation lapped up every moment of action with great enthusiasm.
The result of the SA vs IND 1st Test isn't one bit surprising but the manner of abject surrender will certainly haunt Rohit Sharma for the longest time.
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Since the Adelaide Test match in 2020-21 when India were all-out for 36, never has an Indian team looked so ill-equipped to handle conditions that was diabolically opposite of what they get in sub-continent.
With India's third and fourth pacers leaking runs galore, South Africa managed 408 in the first innings as Indians gave a lovely "farewell present" to Dean Elgar, who played an uncharacteristically attacking innings of 185 in his penultimate Test.
Even Marco Jansen (84 not out off 147 balls) made merry on a track where fast bowlers would have been licking their lips.
With 163 runs in arrears, there was little chance of survival on a track where the ball was flying around and also jagging a fair bit.
Once Elgar and Jansen batted India out of the match, least one expected was a decent fightback but save Virat Kohli (76), who showed why he is cut above the rest in terms of technique and temperament, others were found wanting.
He was the only one, who could partially conquer the bounce and got his body behind the line to cover the seam movement and also rode the bounce to get his 12 boundaries and a six.
Earlier veteran Elgar missed out on a well-deserved maiden double hundred but inflicted enough damage on India in company of young Jansen to bat the visitors out of the opening Test.
Elgar, whose previous highest Test score is 199, was inching towards his maiden double hundred before a faint tickle to a leg-side bouncer from Shardul Thakur brought an end to his innings.
But that didn't deter the lanky Jansen, not exactly known for his batting prowess, from negotiating a deflated Indian attack that looked out of sorts and bereft of ideas.
(With agency inputs)
