Dale Steyn steals the show after SA fightback against India

None of the batsmen who faced Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the first hour at Newlands on Friday managed to lay much bat on ball. But, after tea, Kagiso Rabada, batting at No. 9, hit him high over his head for six.

It was that sort of day for India, who competed early but faded as the first day of the test series wore on to let South Africa back into the game.

The accurate and consistently threatening Kumar was easily the most penetrative of India’s bowlers on the first day of the test series, and but for a dropped catch would have claimed sixth five-wicket haul. Instead he took 4/87.

But, as good as Kumar was, and as well as he was supported, South Africa were better.

They recovered from a horror start, shambling to 12/3 inside five overs, to total 286.

The cavalry came in the shape of a century stand between AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, and Morne Morkel, last out for two, was alone among the home side’s last eight in not making a decent-sized lump of runs.

By stumps India were 28/3, or 258 behind and 58 away from avoiding being told to follow on.

One of India’s wickets belonged to Dale Steyn, who because of dire shoulder and muscle injuries bowled in a test for the first time since November 2016.

Du Plessis won the toss and chose to bat, and watched from the dressing room as his top order of Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram and Hashim Amla came matching back in short order.

That brought De Villiers and Du Plessis together at the crease, and they shared a partnership of 114 before being removed three overs apart.

De Villiers batted aggressively for his 65, which came off 84 balls and included 11 fours.

Du Plessis, who faced 104 deliveries for his 62 and hit 12 fours, was solidly circumspect.

The first two deliveries of the match, bowled by Kumar, sailed past Elgar’s legs.

But the third seamed away from the left-hander, who nicked it and was caught behind.

Kumar trapped Markram in front with an inswinger in his next over, and in the medium pacer’s following over Amla steered an edge to the wicketkeeper.

That earned Kumar figures of 3/4 from the first 17 deliveries he bowled.

The responsive pitch was part of the reason for Kumar’s success, but not as much as his own effort.

India stayed on top until the ninth over, when De Villiers slashed Kumar over the slip cordon for four and crashed his next delivery through point for another boundary.

For all Kumar’s superiority, it fell to debutant seamer Jasprit Bumrah to separate De Villiers and Du Plessis in the seventh over after lunch, when De Villiers drove at an inswinger and angled it onto his stumps. 

Hardik Pandya had a cutting Du Plessis caught behind to reduce South Africa to 142/5.

Quinton de Kock and Vernon Philander steadied the home side with a stand that reached 60 before De Kock edged Kumar to the wicketkeeper.

Kumar might have bagged a fifth scalp in the seventh over before tea, but Shikhar Dhawan at third slip botched a chance offered by Keshav Maharaj before he had scored.

South Africa were dismissed with 11 overs left in the day’s play, and in the second of them Steyn ran in to bowl to joyous cheers.

With his 14th delivery he induced a leading edge from Dhawan and claimed the skied catch himself.

Cheers turned to roars, and Steyn’s scowl to a broad smile.

Virat Kohli walked in, and came close to having to walk out immediately when Steyn’s bouncer looped off his leading edge and plopped to earth on the pitch.

By then Philander had had a hard-driving Murali Vijay caught in the gully and soon the menacing Morkel would have Kohli taken behind with the first ball of his second spell.

Morkel didn’t concede a run in his two overs and bowled beautifully, but the moment was Steyn’s.

It was, no doubt, good to be back.