SA vs IND: 1st Test, Review – India finish 2021 with a record-breaking win
India created history in Centurion by defeating South Africa in the Boxing Day Test by 113 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series. Going into the final day, the hosts needed 211 runs while India needed six wickets, with the forecast of rain and thunderstorm looking into the eyes of the Virat Kohli-led unit.
Although both Centurion weather and the Indian bowlers played well, with India needing only a little more over a session to wrap South Africa well short, to become the first Asian team to win at the venue.
After being dismissed for 327 in the first innings, India took a giant 130-run lead by tumbling South Africa out for just 197 on the back of Mohammed Shami’s five-wicket haul. Even as South Africa did well to restrict India to just 174, the lead conceded in the first innings got back to haunt them.
Shami and Bumrah were again in the wickets in the second innings, picking six wickets between them, while Mohammed Siraj and R Ashwin bagged two apiece. Keeping aside Dean Elgar, who scored a defiant 77 off 156 and Temba Bavuma, who hung around for 80 balls for his 35, none other Protea batter showed the courage to block out the Indian pacers, as they went down in the series.
Top Performers
KL Rahul
KL Rahul was adjudged the Player of the Match for his spectacular century that had laid the foundation of the team’s win. He blunted out the new ball, notching up a masterclass of Test batting in challenging batting conditions while being well-assisted by partner Mayank Agarwal’s 60. Rahul could not get going in the second innings when he departed for 23, but his first-innings show was enough for India to capitalise upon.
Lungi Ngidi
With not much going South Africa’s way, Lungi Ngidi shone brightly with a six-wicket haul in the first innings, followed by two wickets in the second. Ngidi was the only bowler to get success on Day 1 when he was responsible to take all three wickets falling on the day.
Stats and Milestones
- India is the first Asian team to beat South Africa in Centurion.
- This is the second occasion when India have won four overseas Tests in a calendar year, having won against Australia in Brisbane, followed by wins over England at the Lord’s and the Oval.
- The previous instance was in 2018, when India won against Australia in Melbourne and Adelaide, against England in Nottingham and against South Africa in Johannesburg.
What next for both the teams?
The second Test gets underway on January 3 in Johannesburg.
