SA vs IND: Aiden Markram irked after Virat Kohli swaps bails on opening day in Cape Town

India and South Africa locked horns in the second and final Test at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on January 3. The game witnessed a back-and-forth first day, with the hosts standing at 62/3 in their second innings with Aiden Markram (36*) and David Bedingham (7*) at the crease. South Africa are now trailing by 36 runs. 

During South Africa's second innings, India's bowlers Mukesh Kumar (2/25) and Jasprit Bumrah (1/25) made significant contributions. An interesting incident occurred just before the final delivery of Day 1 when Virat Kohli, recalling a tactic from the previous Test in Centurion, walked near the stumps and swapped the bails. During the first Test, he distracted the South African batters with his act just before Bumrah's delivery in the 29th over, leading to the dismissal of Tony de Zorzi.

Kohli made a similar distraction right before Aiden Markram faced the final ball. Markram, seemingly unhappy with the India batter's actions, lodged a complaint with the umpires which prompted Kohli and KL Rahul to express their discontent. Captain Rohit Sharma intervened, temporarily pausing the game to discuss the situation with bowler Mukesh Kumar. Despite the interruptions, the Proteas batter successfully faced the last delivery.

Kohli swapped the bails at the striker's end before the final ball to play mind games with Markram😁. However, Markram successfully defended the final ball of the day.#INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/b1ehA3QEB0

— Deepak Prakash (@Deepakprksh) January 3, 2024

South Africa's decision to bat first proved disastrous as they were dismissed for a mere 55 runs. The Proteas' batting struggles were exacerbated by Mohammed Siraj's exceptional nine-over spell, where he achieved a phenomenal figure of 6/15. Jasprit Bumrah and Mukesh Kumar also contributed with two wickets each for the side led by Rohit Sharma.

Despite India's advantageous position at 153 for four in response, they lost six wickets without adding a run as all the batters got out for ducks. Rohit Sharma (39), Shubman Gill (36), and Virat Kohli (46) top-scored for India in their first innings, while Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Nandre Burger claimed three wickets each. Notably, the first two innings, spanning 349 balls, marked the second-fewest deliveries in 147 years of red-ball cricket.