In the opening Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion, held Thursday, December 28, Team India suffered a loss by an innings and 32 runs. Their primary scorer was Virat Kohli. His right hand drove 76 runs off of 82 balls, features included a maximum and 12 boundaries, all in the third innings.
Only Shubman Gill (26) reached double digits for the visitors, who were bundled out for 131 in the second inning. Kagiso Rabada made a superb catch at long-on to eliminate Kohli as the final batsman. When the former captain ran out of partners, he went the aerial way to score some quick runs.
In the first innings, Kohli scored 38 runs out of 64, becoming the second-best for India.
Supporters on X (previously known as Twitter) praised Virat Kohli’s single-handed battle in India’s second innings against South Africa. A fan commented:
“Pictures says everything. The Lone warrior Virat Kohli, amazing Knock under pressure. It’s a dream Performance for intent Merchants.”
Here are some more reactions:
Virat Kohli’s 76 off 82 balls goes in waste as South Africa win first Test
Despite Virat Kohli’s efforts to push India’s total over a hundred, the first Test’s victory still went to South Africa. This sealed 1-0 lead in the twin-match competition and stalled India’s aim of their premier Test series win on South African soil. As guests, India must claim victory in Test number two to sidestep another series defeat under the South African sun.
India batted first and reached 245 before being dismissed. KL Rahul batted brilliantly, reaching 101 from 137 balls, including four maximums and 14 boundaries. Kagiso Rabada was the standout Proteas bowler, taking four wickets, while rookie Nandre Burger took three.
South Africa bounced back with a 408/9 score, thanks to stellar contributions by injured Captain Temba Bavuma’s team. Dean Elgar’s brilliant 185 runs from 287 balls, including 28 shots over the boundary, stood out. Marco Jansen and David Bedingham each hit a notable half-century.
On the bowling end for India, Jasprit Bumrah shined, yielding results of 4/69. Mohammed Siraj also performed well by scoring two wickets.
Moving on to the second innings, India collapsed to a disappointing 131 in just 34.1 overs by Day 3. Nandre Burger led the South African attack with four wickets, while Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada captured three and two wickets each, respectively.
Excitement now transfers to Newlands, Cape Town. The second Test will take place from January 3-7, 2024.