🏏South Africa vs India, 1st Test: SuperSport Park, Centurion 🏏 - Page 79

South Africa won by an innings and 32 runs

Horrible performance by ind. This is unacceptable

An abject surrender by India. If you grew up in the 1990s, this must feel like a proper throwback. Over their last five fours in these shores, India have competed hard and won at least one Test. That proud record is on the line here with one more to come in Jo'burg next week. India were briefly in it, courtesy KL Rahul's magnificent first-innings hundred but there's been very little else of note. Lots and lots of things to mull over and they'll have two extra days to do a de-brief, before preparing for Newlands.

17:03 Local Time, 15:03 GMT, 20:33 IST: All over. For all the hype around India potentially breaching their final frontier, they have actually been bamboozled within three days. And they have been bruised, they have been battered, they have been outclassed and made to look like amateurs by a team much better equipped for the conditions. South Africa were considered the inexperienced team in this contest but even their new boys played with great maturity and discipline to outclass the top-ranked Test side. A well-deserved win and they keep India dreaming on their prospects of winning in the rainbow nation.

The Test started with India losing wickets in heaps, as Rabada and debutant Nandre Burger troubled them with their seam movement. KL Rahul countered with a magnificent hundred, as he helped India get to 245 in the first innings. In reply, South Africa lost Markram early but de Zorzi and Elgar blunted out the new ball. The hosts then capitalised on some pedestrain bowling from Shardul and Prasidh, as Elgar notched up his first hundred at Centurion, and made that a daddy hundred. He was supported by Bedingham and Jansen, both of whom both fifties with the latter scoring his highest ever Test score. Having amassed a lead of 163, the game was always slipping away from India and Rabada made sure to spell the death knell to the visitors. Rohit fell for a duck, and four of the top seven fell for single digits as Nadre Burger shined in the second innings. India's only fighter in the second innings was Kohli, but what can even a king do when his soldiers lack the ammunition or the stomach for a fight? South Africa's bowlers used the pitch in a way the Indians can only sit back and learn from, as they capitulated within 35 overs in the second innings. Hang around for the presentations...

Rohit could have given more overs to Ashwin maybe.

Runs would have reduced a bit.

Batsmen should have tried to play with more technique. Rahul Dravid is an expert at this.

Loss margin would have decreased.

South Africa have been absolutely sensational. SuperSport Park seems like a giant party waiting to take off. They're dancing in the grass banks. Dean Elgar plucks a stump out for posterity. It's his farewell series and he's started it with a magnificent match-winning 185, full of pluck and guts. There was a five-for from Rabada, wickets for debutant Nandre Burger and runs for debutant David Bedingham. The only real concern - or maybe it's not - heading into Cape Town is the fitness of Temba Bavuma. Can it be scripted any better for Elgar to lead his time in his farewell Test?

India - last five Tests in SENA countries

Lost by 7 wkts vs SA Joburg 2022

Lost by 7 wkts vs SA Cape Town 2022

Lost by 7 wkts vs Eng Birmingham 2022

Lost by 209 runs vs Aus The Oval 2023

Lost by an innings & 32 runs vs SA Centurion 2023

Lowest aggregate by batters #5 & below for India in a Test innings

13 runs vs Pak Lahore 1984

15 runs vs Aus Kanpur 1979

16 runs vs SA Centurion 2023 *

20 runs vs WI Kanpur 1958

21 runs vs Aus Adelaide 2020

Innings & 32 runs defeat for India \n- First under Rohit Sharma's captaincy \n- Only the third since the start of 2015 \n- First against SA since Jan 2011

South Africa seamers making Test debut vs India in Centurion

2018: Lungi Ngidi 1/51 & 6/39

2021: Marco Jansen 1/69 & 4/55

2023: Nandre Burger 3/50 & 4/33

11 wickets taken by left arm pacers is the joint-most in a Test for South Africa equalling Cape Town Test against England 100 years ago in Jan 1923.

Rohit Sharma: We were not good enough to win. Having put into bat, KL batted well to get us that score but then we didn't exploit the conditions with the ball and then again didn't show up today with the bat. If we have to win Test matches, we have to come together collectively and we didn't do that. Guys have come here before, we know what to expect and everyone has their own plan. Our batters were challenged and we didn't adapt well. This is a boundary scoring ground, we saw them score many but we need to understand the opposition and their strengths as well. We didn't bat well in both innings, that's why we stand here. Not too many positives to finish the game within 3 days, but KL showed what we need to do on this sort of pitch. Our bowlers, a lot of these guys haven't been here before so I don't want to be too critical. Important for us to regroup, we go through these times as sportsmen and we need to be ready for the next Test now.