Look who wanted to leave the venue after watching a freaking spell by Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The Indian team’s journey got off to a spectacular beginning in the South African tour, a series which was pretty much hyped and the initial day of the 1st Test match at Newlands, Cape Town totally lived up to the expectations. The visiting team’s new ball bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled an incredible opening spell in which he removed three of the top order Proteas batsman with the scoreboard reading just 12 runs. The South African batting coach Dale Benkenstein was also completely amazed after witnessing that freaking spell by opposition team bowler.

The hosts skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and opted to bat first, but his decision almost backfired when his team was reduced to 12-3 in the first five overs of the match. But then the experienced duo of returning AB de Villiers and du Plessis counter-attacked the Indian bowling attacked and also got to their respective fifties. However, after their dismissal, while runs kept on coming from one end and on the other side the bowlers were picking up wickets at regular wickets. Towards the end of the final session of the day, the hosts were finally bowled out for 286 runs, but the Proteas bowlers ended the day in a commanding manner to reduce the visitors at 28-3.

I thought to take an Uber cab

Benkenstein was not having a definite feeling when his team lost three early wickets in the first hour of the first day’s play. He even thought of taking a taxi back to the hotel wondering how his batters would be able to score runs on the kind of track which was assisting the fast bowlers very much.  But he also praised the pair of du Plessis and de Villiers for depicting their class and abilities to score runs in any sought of conditions.

“At 12/3, it was not the best feeling as a batting coach. I was thinking of taking an Uber and leaving for the hotel because I didn’t know how we were going to score runs on this wicket. They (India) are a quality bowling attack. The class and genius of AB and the tenacity of our captain (Faf du Plessis) changed the momentum of the game, or rather that innings (from AB),” said Benkenstein as quoted by Times Now.

De Villiers has the ability to change the game

South African batsman AB de Villiers returned to the longest format of the game after a long time, but in his entire innings of 65 runs, he was looking in his all-time zone. He played some attacking shots which forced the bowlers to vary their line and lengths. The coach also commended the batsman for bringing in the belief to change the whole mindset of the South African dressing room.

“That one over (when de Villiers scored 17 runs off Bhuvneshwar) was a game-changer. It was definitely the genius of AB. You cannot tell him how to bat as a coach. It made the bowlers worry about their lengths and that partnership of 100 runs got us back in the game. It brought belief back in the change room,” he added.