India closed Day One of the first Test against South Africa at 37/1 in 20 overs and trail by 122 runs after Jasprit Bumrah’s sharp five-wicket haul had earlier skittled the visitors for 159 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday. 

Before bad light brought an early end to proceedings in the final session, India lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal cheaply. But KL Rahul (13 not out) and newly established number three Washington Sundar (six not out) ensured there was no further damage before stumps arrived.

The pair batted cautiously, adding 19 runs in an unbroken stand for the second wicket on a surface that continued to show variable bounce.

Earlier, on a challenging two-paced pitch, where India picked all four spin-bowling options, Bumrah stood out yet again with his incisive 5-27 in 14 overs, dismantling South Africa’s batting order after they had raced to 57/0.

The visitors lost all of their 10 wickets for just 102 runs, leaving India in control at the close of day one. Apart from Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each, while Axar Patel had a scalp to his name.

After South Africa elected to bat first, Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram negotiated the early overs with composure to bring up the fifty of the opening stand — the first such instance for the Proteas in India after 17 innings. Rickelton, fluent from the outset, punished a wayward Siraj for providing width by taking three boundaries off him.

Markram, who got off the mark after facing 22 balls, settled in after a watchful beginning by hitting fours through gorgeous back foot and front foot shots before leaving everyone dazed with his shimmy down the pitch to dispatch Axar for six over wide long-on.

Bumrah, who had produced a few balls that ranged from climbing sharply to staying a touch low, got India back in the game with his double strike – getting a length ball to beat Rickelton’s outside edge and rattle his off stump. He then produced a rising delivery from short of length that forced Markram to play at it, and the shoulder edge of the bat was caught by a diving Rishabh Pant.

South Africa’s progress was further dented when Kuldeep trapped Temba Bavuma with a clever leg-slip ploy, and Dhruv Jurel caught the inside edge to send the Proteas skipper for just three, as South Africa slipped from 57/0 to 71/3. From there, Mulder and de Zorzi showed grit against the spinners till lunch arrived.

Post the lunch interval, Kuldeep and Bumrah set the tone immediately for India by maintaining relentless accuracy. That relentlessness was rewarded when Wiaan Mulder’s attempt to reverse-sweep Kuldeep ended in him being trapped plumb lbw, with the all-rounder also burning a review.

Bumrah’s inswinger kept low and came in off the team from round the wicket to trap Tony de Zorzi lbw for 24. Though Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne tried stabilising South Africa’s innings, Siraj found his rhythm with some reverse swing and struck twice in the 45th over to remove Verreynne and Marco Jansen.

While Verreynne was slow to bring his bat down and was trapped lbw by a nip-backer from Siraj, the pacer got one to tail in from length and castle Marco Jansen through the gate for a three-ball duck. Axar joined the wicket-taking party just before the tea break by trapping Corbin Bosch lbw with a straight delivery to leave India happy and South Africa in dire straits.

The post-tea session began with the crowd of around 35,000 spectators roaring firmly for Bumrah through his fiery two-over burst after tea. Their anticipation was rewarded as Bumrah got one to jag back in and rattle Simon Harmer’s off-stump. Three balls later, Bumrah produced a searing inswinging yorker to trap Keshav Maharaj lbw for a duck to complete his five-wicket haul, while Stubbs could only see the carnage unfold by being unbeaten on 15.

India’s innings began cautiously as Jaiswal took 15 balls to get off the mark — a drive off Marco Jansen through long-off, giving him the boundary. After two more boundaries, Jaiswal’s stay ended on 12 when he chopped onto his stumps off Jansen. Rahul, meanwhile, remained watchful, scoring just one run off his first 14 deliveries before leaning forward into a drive off Wiaan Mulder.

Sundar, the new No.3 batter, survived a testing spell early on and grew more assured as the session progressed. Though Jansen, Mulder, and Corbin Bosch kept things tight with the new ball, while spinners Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer found turn, Rahul and Washington maintained their discipline nicely.

Bad light eventually forced play to end at 4:35 pm, with Bumrah headlining the day for India through his incredible spell, which would have left the faithful Kolkata cricket fans delighted.

Brief scores: South Africa 159 all out in 55 overs (Aiden Markram 31, Ryan Rickelton 23; Jasprit Bumrah 5-27, Kuldeep Yadav 2-36) lead India 37/1 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 13 not out, Yashasvi Jaiswal 12; Marco Jansen 1-11) by 122 runs