The 1st day of the 2nd Test between India and South Africa saw Virat Kohli replicate a tactic he had previously used successfully in Centurion, mirroring Stuart Broad’s similar move during the Ashes. Just before the beginning of Jasprit Bumrah’s 29th over against South Africa, Kohli swapped the bails again in an attempt to distract the batsmen.
Surprisingly, Bumrah took a wicket during that over, dismissing Tony de Zorzi. On the following day, Kohli seemed to try a similar move just before Aiden Markram faced the final ball.
However, this time Kohli’s actions were pointed out by Aiden Markram who went ahead to raise a concern with the umpires, leading both Kohli and wicketkeeper KL Rahul to express their dissatisfaction. Soon after, captain Rohit Sharma stepped in, halting the game to have a conversation with bowler Mukesh Kumar. Despite the disruptions, Markram effectively defended the last delivery with a solid forward-defensive shot.
Virat Kohli in South Africa in Tests:
Innings – 17.
Runs – 879.
Average – 51.71.
Hundreds – 2.
Fifties – 4.– A standout records on some of the toughest surfaces…!!! pic.twitter.com/u4rAiM4Xf1
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 4, 2024
Pacer Mohammed Siraj was instrumental in India’s dominant display, claiming a career-best 6-15 as they dismissed South Africa for just 55 runs in their first innings. Despite India’s strong position at 153 for four in response, a dramatic collapse unfolded, resulting in the loss of six wickets without adding any further runs—an unprecedented event in Test cricket history.
Aiden Markram, standing unbeaten at 36, and David Bedingham, with 7 runs, will strive to form a strong partnership on day two to set a formidable target for India.