India in control after wickets tumble on Day 1

India hold a good chance of levelling the series with South Africa after 23 wickets fell on the first day of the second and final Test at Newlands on Wednesday.After being bowled out for 55 in the first innings, South Africa were 62 for three in the second innings at the close, still 36 runs short of India’s first innings total of 153.Mohamed Siraj produced a sensational career-best spell of 6 for 15 as South Africa were bowled out before lunch after choosing to bat first on a pitch which gave considerable help to the fast bowlers throughout the day.South Africa’s total was their lowest in almost 92 years, since they were bowled out for 36 and 45 by Australia on a rain-affected pitch in Melbourne in February 1932.It was the lowest total by any team in a Test against India, beating 62 by New Zealand in Mumbai in December 2021.Siraj bowled superbly in an unchanged nine-over spell. India cruised into the lead in 9.4 overs, before the afternoon drinks break.The tourists seemed set for a substantial advantage when they reached 153 for four, with the experienced Virat Kohli and K L Rahul at the crease.But the remaining six wickets fell for no runs in 11 balls.Lungi Ngidi had Rahul caught behind and took two more wickets in the same over.Kagiso Rabada had Kohli caught at second slip for 46 in the next over, Mohamed Siraj was run out and Prasidh Kumar caught at second slip.Stand-in South African captain Dean Elgar was dismissed twice on the first day of his final Test match.Elgar was out for four and 12 in an ignominious end to a Test batting career which yielded 5347 runs in 86 matches at an average of 37.92.Elgar was bowled by Siraj in the first innings and caught by Virat Kohli at first slip off Mukesh Kumar in the second innings.As he reluctantly left the field after his second dismissal Indian players ran to shake his hand.Elgar’s opening partner Aiden Markram made just two in the first innings but was more in command in the second innings and was unbeaten on 36 at the close.However, Tony de Zorzi and debutant Tristan Stubbs both fell for one run. South Africa won the first Test in Centurion by an innings and 32 runs in a match which lasted only three days.The current match seems destined to be shorter."I would take 100 (victory target) all day,” Elgar told reporters. "When our bowlers click they can rip through any batting lineup and on this wicket that is possible.”"I didn’t know it would play in that way though, with the naked eye it did not look so bad,” he said. "But it’s one of those wickets where if you knuckle down, you never know what can happen."You still have to put the ball in the right area and they (India) executed that to a tee. This pitch just seemed to get quicker as the (first) session went on. I don’t know what to make of it.”He praised his players for not letting their heads drop after they were skittled for their lowest score since 1932."I just said to the guys I will measure them on attitude and execution with the ball. We maybe leaked a few runs with half-volleys but I can’t fault the bowlers for the effort they put in.” Asked if he would change his decision to bat first, Elgar suggested batting last against any sort of three-figure target would be a real challenge."I would still stick to batting first after seeing how the wicket has played,” he said.ScoreboardSouth Africa first inningsA. Markram c Jaiswal b Siraj 2D. Elgar b Siraj 4T. de Zorzi c Rahul b Siraj 2T. Stubbs c Sharma b Bumrah 3D. Bedingham c Jaiswal b Siraj 12K. Verreynne c Gill b Siraj 15M. Jansen c Rahuk b Siraj 0K. Maharaj c Bumrah b Kumar 3K. Rabada c Iyer b Kumar 5N. Burger c Jaiswal b Bumrah 4L. Ngidi not out 0Extras (b4, lb1) 5Total (23.2 overs) 55Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Markram), 2-8 (Elgar)m 3-11 (Stubbs), 4-15 (De Zorzi), 5-34 (Bedingham), 6-34 (Jansen), 7-45 (Verreynne), 8-46 (Maharaj), 9-55 (Burger)Bowling: Bumrah 8-1-25-2, Siraj 9-3-15-6, Krishna 4-1-10-0, Kumar 2.2-2-0-2India first inningsY. Jaiswal b Rabada 0R. Sharma c Jansen b Burger 39S. Gill c Jansen b Burger 36V. Kohli c Markram b Rabada 46S. Iyer c Verreynne b Burger 0K. Rahul c Verreynne b Ngidi 8R. Jadeja c Jansen b Ngidi 0J. Bumrah c Jansen b Ngidi 0M. Siraj run out (Burger) 0P. Krishna c Markram b Rabada 0M. Kumar not out 0Extras (b4, lb10, nb5, w5) 24Total (34.5 overs) 153Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Jaiswal), 2-72 (Sharma), 3-105 (Gill), 4-110 (Iyer), 5-153 (Rahul), 6-153 (Jadeja), 7-153 (Bumrah), 8-153 (Kohli),9-153 (Siraj)Bowling: Rabada 11.5-2-38-3 (1w), Ngidi 6-1-30-3 (3nb), Burger 8-2-42-3, Jansen 9-2-29-0 (2nb)South Africa second inningsA. Markram not out 36D. Elgar c Kohli b Kumar 12T. de Zorzi c Rahul b Kumar 1T. Stubbs c Rahul b Bumrah 1D. Bedingham not out 7Extras (lb1, nb4) 5Total (3 wkts, 17 overs) 62Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Elgar), 2-41 (De Zorzi)Bowling: Bumrah 6-0-25-1 (1nb), Siraj 5-2-11-0, Kumar 6-2-25-2 (3nb).