News by Sana Ullah“
In a commanding display of bowling prowess, fast bowler Mohammad Siraj propelled India into a dominant position on the opening day of the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
As of the time of filing this report, South Africa found themselves in dire straits at 46-7, and Siraj emerged as the primary architect of their batting collapse. The right-arm pacer wreaked havoc, claiming an impressive six wickets for just 15 runs in a relentless nine-over spell.
Before the carnage unfolded, South Africa’s captain, Dean Elgar, had chosen to bat first in the second and final Test at Newlands on Wednesday, aiming for a series sweep against the top-ranked side in the world.
The hosts implemented three changes to their lineup following their convincing victory in the first Test in Pretoria. Debutant middle-order batsman Tristan Stubbs replaced the injured regular captain Temba Bavuma, spinner Keshav Maharaj received his 50th cap in place of the injured Gerald Coetzee, and seamer Lungi Ngidi took the spot of Keegan Petersen.
Elgar expressed his anticipation of a challenging pitch, stating, “It looks an interesting wicket, a few snakes in it, hopefully it comes to the fore when we bowl. It is a big hurdle for us and a big test; this is our marquee game for the season. We have to start well.”
On the other side, Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who would have batted first if he had won the toss, made two changes to the squad. Fit-again left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja replaced Ravichandran Ashwin, and seamer Mukesh Kumar came in for Shardul Thakur.
Rohit acknowledged the conditions favoring seamers, stating, “There will be enough in the pitch for the seamers, so hopefully we can cash in on it. It is important for us to forget what has happened in the past; it is about the present.”
This match marks the final appearance in Elgar’s illustrious 12-year Test career, as he decided to conclude his journey ahead of the series.
