Proteas set plethora of records wilting to 55 in embarrassing opening session

Dean Elgar will be munching on his lunchtime sandwich contemplating his decision to bat first after South Africa were embarrassingly bowled out for 55 in just 23.2 overs in the first session of the second Test at Newlands on Wednesday. 

Indian seamer Mohammad Siraj had a dream session, taking 6/15 from nine overs bowling at the Wynberg End — a career-best performance. 

All the good work and the psychological hold the Proteas had over the tourists after the innings and 32-run win in the first Test in Centurion last week was smashed to smithereens with an awful display against admittedly excellent seam bowling. 

Elgar’s decision to bat had merit given what he would have observed about Newlands in the domestic competitions this season. Top order batters have struggled in the first hour here in both one-day and four-day matches, but middle batters have managed to make runs, with Kyle Verreynne having twice made a hundred for Western Province. 

However, for that to work, the team batting can’t be dismissed by lunch, which is what happened to South Africa here. 

Credit is due to Siraj, who exploited the conditions perfectly. There was a fair covering of grass on the surface, aiding seam movement, while his use of the crease and subtle changes of angle provided an examination that proved far too tough for the South African batters. 

The first of his victims was Aiden Markram, who admonished himself for being drawn into a tentative defensive shot, but who had found himself “searching” for the ball, which Siraj was moving both ways off the surface expertly. 

Elgar, in between those bites of the lunchtime sandwich, will certainly be critical of the shot that brought about his dismissal, a loose stroke that was neither a cut nor drive, with the inside edge deflecting the ball onto his stumps. 

Debutant Tristan Stubbs, playing in place of Temba Bavuma, was undone by some smart thinking from the Indians, who noticed how he was plodding onto the front foot. Jasprit Bumrah, shortening his length, got the ball to dart into the right-hander, finding the inside edge onto Stubbs’ pads and offering Rohit Sharma an easy catch at short leg. 

Thereafter it was a procession. Tony de Zorzi was caught down leg side to bring 15/4. David Bedingham, after a few good drives, was drawn forward to defend, but the extra bounce Siraj extracted caught his glove, the ball flying to Yashasvi Jaiswal at third slip. 

Verreynne, who was lucky to get to 15, drove loosely at Siraj with Shreyas Iyer taking an easy catch at second slip. Marco Jansen lasted three balls and made nought. 

Kagiso Rabada ensured South Africa at least reached 50, a landmark greeted by a standing ovation in some sections of the stadium, which was surprisingly not completely full. 

Mukesh Kumar and Bumrah wrapped up a miserable session for the hosts, dismissing Rabada and Nandre Burger.

In the process the Proteas set a plethora of records — the lowest post-isolation score on home soil, eclipsing the 83 all out against England at the Wanderers in 2016; the lowest total against India, previously 79 in Nagpur in 2015.

There was the lowest total by any team against India, taking that record away from New Zealand, who in 2021 made 62.

And the lowest total after winning the toss and choosing to bat, a record that had been set by South Africa in the first Test ever played in this country in Gqeberha in 1889 against England when they scored 84.