South Africa’s premier fast bowler, Kagiso Rabada, proved why he is regarded as just that after producing a sublime five-wicket haul — the 14th of his career — on day one of the first Test between India and the Proteas on Tuesday.  

Rabada was the destroyer-in-chief, taking more than half of the eight wickets that fell on the opening day as India limped to 208 for the loss of eight men in the 59 overs played at SuperSport Park in Centurion. Rain and bad light prevented the bowling of any more overs on the day. 

For India, it was only the ever-impressive KL Rahul who passed 50 — with an unbeaten 70 — on a tricky day for batting. Rahul and tail-ender Mohammed Siraj will resume play tomorrow morning. 

On paper, South Africa’s fast-bowling quartet is fast and ferocious, with Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee and debutant Nandre Burger sharing the red leather alongside Rabada. All four are over 1.88m tall and can bowl at more than 140km/h.  

But, outside of an early Burger spell, it was only the senior figure of Rabada who hit a consistent probing line and length on a bowling-friendly surface.  

South Africa’s catching was also below par, with Jansen and Tony de Zorzi dropping relatively straightforward catches in consecutive overs. Had they been taken, the Proteas could have had India pinned back to 38 for five before lunch. 

After lunch, Proteas captain Temba Bavuma, chasing after a Virat Kohli cover drive, strained his left hamstring, which forced him to leave the field. He did not return to action.  

According to Cricket South Africa, “Scans have revealed a left hamstring strain and he will undergo daily medical evaluations to determine his participation in the match.” 

It was a day for South Africa where winning the toss, electing to bowl and an inspired Rabada bowling at his devastating best were the difference between a relatively successful day of cricket versus a possibly humiliating one. 

Rabada bowled 17 overs and picked up five wickets while conceding 44 runs at just over 2.5 runs to the over. 

The other three quicks collected three scalps in 42 overs, conceding 155 runs, all going comfortably above three runs to the over. 

Shardul Thakur and KL Rahul of India during Day 1 of the 1st Test match between South Africa and India at SuperSport Park on 26 December 2023 in Centurion, South Africa. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi – Gallo Images / Getty images)

Nandre Burger of South Africa during Day 1 of the 1st Test match between South Africa and India at SuperSport Park on 26 December 2023 in Centurion, South Africa. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images)

Shreyas Iyer of India is bowled out by Kagiso Rabada of South Africa during Day 1 of the 1st Test match between South Africa and India at SuperSport Park on 26 December 2023 in Centurion, South Africa. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi – Gallo Images / Getty images)

Rampant Rabada 

The ball began hooping around corners in the very first over of the match, with cloud cover overhead assisting, but South Africa’s bowlers, and Jansen in particular, were guilty of trying to do too much on a wicket that offered enough for the bowlers. 

Rabada picked up dangerous India skipper Rohit Sharma (five) with a well-directed bouncer in the fifth over of the match. Burger then went bang-bang in consecutive overs to get rid of Yashasvi Jaiswal (17) and Shubman Gill (two) with his maiden Test match wickets. 

India were languishing at 24 for three in the 12th over at that point, with Kohli and Shreyas Iyer at the crease.  

In the following over, Jansen dropped Iyer at point off the bowling of Rabada before De Zorzi spilt an uncomplicated attempted flick off the pads by Kohli off the bowling of Burger. 

Kohli (38) and Iyer (31) dug in after both received second lives and put up 68 runs in a fourth-wicket stand to take India to 92 runs, just after lunch, before Rabada was reintroduced to the attack. 

The 28-year-old ripped Iyer’s middle stump out of the ground, before bending the ball like a banana to kiss the outside edge of Kohli’s bat and get rid of the middle-order fighters. 

Wicketkeeper-batter Rahul steered India’s wobbly ship to safer waters with some assistance from all-rounder Shardul Thakur (24). Rahul cut, pulled and drove with a ferociousness not shown by the other Indian batters on the day.  

Rahul clearly enjoys wielding the willow at this ground. During the last Boxing Day Test at Centurion, in 2021, he scored an unbeaten 122 to help his side to an opening Test victory.  

A similar score will put his team in an early favourable position as the pitch at SuperSport Park looks tricky to bat on.  

Play is expected to restart at 10am on Wednesday, though rain may once again have its say on the time spent in the oval. DM