Kolkata: Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav picked three wickets collectively for India to keep South Africa in check as the visitors reached 105/3 in 27 overs at lunch on the first day of the opening Test at the Eden Gardens on Friday.
Bumrah provided the early breakthroughs by removing the opening pair, while Kuldeep added to the pressure by dismissing skipper Temba Bavuma shortly after the drinks interval.
At 71/3, the Proteas looked vulnerable, but Tony de Zorzi (15 not out) and Wiaan Mulder (22 not out) steadied the innings with a composed 34-run stand off 66 balls and ensured no further damage before the lunch break came.
Electing to bat first, Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram negotiated the early overs with composure to bring up a 50-run stand for South Africa – their first such instance in India after 17 innings. Rickelton, fluent from the outset, punished a wayward Mohammed Siraj for providing width by taking three boundaries off him.
Markram, who got off the mark after facing 22 balls, settled in after a watchful beginning by hitting fours through gorgeous back foot and front foot shots before leaving everyone dazed with his shimmy down the pitch to dispatch Axar Patel for six over wide long-on.
Bumrah, who had produced a few balls that ranged from climbing sharply to staying a touch low, got India back in the game with his double strike – getting a length ball to beat Rickelton’s outside edge and rattle his off stump. He then produced a rising delivery from short of length that forced Markram to play at it and the shoulder edge of the bat was caught by a diving Rishabh Pant.
South Africa’s progress was further dented when Kuldeep trapped Temba Bavuma with a clever leg-slip ploy, and Dhruv Jurel caught his inside edge to send the Proteas skipper for just three, as South Africa slipped from 57/0 to 71/3.
From there, Mulder and de Zorzi, showed grit against Kuldeep, Axar, and Ravindra Jadeja, before seeing off the challenge from Washington Sundar, who bowled the final over of a hard-fought session of Test cricket.
Brief Scores: South Africa 105/3 in 27 overs (Aiden Markram 31, Ryan Rickelton 23; Jasprit Bumrah 2-9, Kuldeep Yadav 1-24) against India .
(IANS)
