Day 1 of the second Test between South Africa and India on Wednesday, January 3, at Cape Town, was a tough one. The pitch challenged the players as they lost multiple wickets. The unpredictable bounce of the ball on the surface troubled the batsmen from both teams right from the start.
South Africa chose to bat first and was all out of the first innings for a mere 55 runs. They couldn’t handle Mohammed Siraj’s heat as he tore through their batting lineup and claimed six wickets. Only David Bedingham (12) and Kyle Verreynne (15) scored more than ten runs, while nine of their hitters were out for scores of less than five.
With the bat, South Africa paid Men in Blue a reciprocal favour by limiting them to 153 in 34.5 overs. With some good batting, Virat Kohli (46), Rohit Sharma (39), and Shubman Gill (36), helped his team build a 98-run advantage. In Men in Blue opening innings, up to seven batsmen failed to score any runs.
The hosts then trail by 36 runs after losing three wickets in the last session of their second innings. With Aiden Markram (36*) and David Bedingham (7*) holding the fort, South Africa concluded the day at 62/3.
People reacted to what happened on the first day of the second Test. They weren’t happy about the field for the game. They shared their feelings with memes. Look at these:
“India have an added advantage when they play with 5 bowlers”- Zaheer Khan after day 1 of 2nd Test vs South Africa
Former Cricketer Zaheer Khan recently stated that when Men in Blue has five quality bowlers in its lineup, they would be well-served in Test matches.
He pleaded with the management to follow the guidelines. He brought up the fact that over the past several years, bowlers have also been contributing fairly with the bat. Speaking about the issue on Cricbuzz Chatter, Zaheer stated:
“If you see, in the last 3-4 years, the contribution of the lower-order has been good. Bumrah, Shami and Shardul Thakur have played memorable knocks in England. Even in Australia, the lower order contributed well in India’s win.”
Zaheer Khan
He continued:
“I think the top-order batters will have to take more responsibility. Also, the lower-order should take a little more responsibility. India have an added advantage when they play with 5 bowlers. Ever since the Indian team management put conscious effort in this direction, the positives have been more than the negatives.”
Zaheer Khan
On the road ahead for Men in Blue on Day 2, Khan added:
“India will have to break this partnership quickly. You will see more wickets tomorrow also. The pitch won’t change much. Perhaps, Siraj can even bowl another spell like today’s spell.”
Zaheer Khan
