Cape Town — Despite losing captain Dean Elgar early on, South Africa will have ended day one the much happier side following an impressive effort from their bowling unit that dismissed the visitors for 223.
IOL Sport’s Zaahier Adams, who was at Newlands throughout the day, gives us the highlights of the first day’s play of what is set up to be a thrilling Test.
Shot: Virat Kohli showed his intent early on that he was settling on for the long haul. A sumptuous cover drive off Marco Jansen in the 19th over set the tone.
Ball: Ajinkya Rahane is fighting for his future in the Indian team and simply cannot catch a break. He would have felt even more hard done by after receiving a superb delivery from Kagiso Rabada that touched the Newlands surface and moved away just enough to take the slightest of edges.
Drama: Proteas wicket-keeper Kyle Verreynne was steadfast he had caught Virat Kohli down the leg-side. Umpire Adrian Holdstock did not agree. The Proteas sent the decision upstairs where the TV replays showed the ball hitting the thigh pad. There was, however, a slight indication that the ball might have brushed Kohli’s bat in the process, but Holdstock's original decision was upheld. The entire Proteas team confronted Kohli in the middle who did not take one backward step.
Spell: Day 1 certainly revolved around two titans of the modern game in Rabada and Kohli. And the duo enjoyed a battle royale in the 47th and 49th overs when Rabada was at full throttle, beating the outside edge on numerous occasions. Kohli survived, but Rabada had the last laugh when he eventually dismissed the Indian skipper in the 73rd.
Table Mountain: Although there were no spectators allowed bar the few who were lucky enough to get their hands on some corporate suite tickets, the return of Test cricket to Newlands under the watch of Table Mountain was a joy to behold once again. This series-decider is the first Test cricket played at the hallowed venue for more than two years since the 2020 New Year Test against England.
IOL Sport