Yashasvi Jaiswal (AFP Photo) NEW DELHI: India suffered an early setback on the opening day of the first Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata when Yashasvi Jaiswal, who looked scrappy from the start, fell cheaply to South African paceman Marc Jansen. Jaiswal never looked quite settled at the crease and Jansen capitalized by heading an awkward length just short of the driving zone. The breakthrough came when Jansen pulled his length back and crowded the left-hander into place.
‘Control your temptations’: Jasprit Bumrah reacts after stunning performance against South Africa in 1st Test
Jaiswal, trying to cut on the back foot despite limited space, only managed a thick inside edge. The ball bounced onto his leg stump and spun. The stadium fell silent as Jaiswal stood in disbelief for a moment before reeling for 12 off 27 balls, an innings that included three boundaries. It was a wicket that Jansen was relentlessly searching for, and it gave South Africa an early start.Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir also looked visibly upset in the dressing room and cameras caught his reaction the moment Jaiswal dismissed his wicket.However, the day largely belonged to India’s fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who produced a devastating spell to tear through the South African batting line-up to finish with exceptional figures of 5 for 27. After winning the toss and opting to bat on a variable bounce surface, South Africa started promisingly and reached the 11th over without loss. But once Bumrah found his rhythm and removed both openers in quick succession, the visitors went into a dramatic collapse.Under relentless pressure, South Africa lost all ten wickets for just 102 runs. Their middle order struggled to match Bumrah’s accuracy, sharp movement and sustained hostility as he took his 16th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. He was effectively supported by Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav with two wickets each while Axar Patel added one.
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A crowd of about 35,000 roared Bumrah during his fiery outburst after tea and their anticipation peaked when he completed his five-wicket haul. South Africa ended up with 159 – their second-lowest first innings total against India – squandering the advantage of winning the toss and handing India early control of the Test.
