South Africa kept coming and plugging away at the wickets at regular intervals and put on an inspiring bowling display to skittle India out for 93 and win the game by 30 runs to take a 1-0 lead in 2-match series. Simon Harmer picked up 4 wickets while Keshav Maharaj and Marco Jansen picked up 2 wickets each as South Africa scripted a famous win. It was a struggle for India with only Washington Sundar and Axar Patel putting up some fight out there.
Simon Harmer’s double strike pushes India further back in the chase.Â
Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar came out to resume proceedings for India while Keshav Maharaj had ball in hand for South Africa. Maharaj felt he had gotten rid of Jurel LBW and forced the South African skipper to go upstairs and they burnt the review did South Africa. Corbin Bosch had ball in hand from the other end. Jurel got a ball on the pads which he tickled it fine and glanced it to the fine leg fence. Bosch felt he had gotten rid of Jurel as the umpire gave it OUT. But the decision was challenged and it was overturned to NOT OUT.
Jurel then hit Bosch by flicking him through midwicket for a boundary. Maharaj continued and bowled a tidy over. Bosch continued and bowled another ball down the leg side as Sundar tickled it along the ground for a boundary past the keeper. Maharaj bowled another good over. Harmer came back and bowled a maiden over. Maharaj followed it with another maiden over. Harmer got his reward as he removed Jurel for 13 off 34 balls with 3 fours to his name.
Harmer from over the wicket bowled a short delivery outside the off-stump line. Jurel was back in the crease and got late on the pull shot and lost his shape and the bottom hand’s grip. He launched it high in the air and hit it straight to Bosch at deep forward square leg. Rishabh Pant came to the crease next. Maharaj thought he had gotten rid of Pant but the umpire said no and the DRS proved the umpire right as the Proteas burnt another review.
Marco Jansen came back into the attack. He bowled a decent over. Harmer continued and bowled yet another maiden over. Jansen followed that up with another maiden over. Harmer continued and struck again for South Africa removing the dangerous Rishabh Pant for 2 off 13 balls. Harmer bowled a full length delivery on the middle stump line a well flighted ball from the off-spinner. Pant failed to get completely forward and slightly lunged attempting to drive and chipped it back to Harmer for a simple catch. Ravindra Jadeja came out to bat next and defended the next two balls as India were reeling at 38/4 in 20 overs as we paused for the Drinks Break in the afternoon session.
Simon Harmer & Keshav Maharaj shines as South Africa skittle India out for 93 for a famous win.Â
Marco Jansen continued after the Break as Jadeja got off the mark with a boundary by shuffling across and helped the ball on its way past long leg for a boundary. Harmer continued as Jadeja hammered him by sweeping past the short leg fielder and away to the fine leg fence. Keshav Maharaj came back into the attack as India got past 50 in 22.4 overs. Harmer continued and bowled another good over. Maharaj also bowled a decent over.
Harmer kept things tight from one end. Maharaj continued and bowled another good over. Harmer provided the breakthrough once again for South Africa removing Jadeja for 18 off 26 balls with 2 fours to his name. Harmer bowled from around the wicket a full length ball tossed up on the off-stump line. Jadeja got forward to defend. The bat is behind the front pad which came across and the ball hit the boot and flew to the left of slip. Markram leapt across to grab it one-handed. Replays showed that the ball hit the boot and ball tracking showed three reds. Jadeja reviewed in hope and burnt a review for India.
Axar Patel came out to bat next. Aiden Markram came into the attack next. He bowled a probing first over. Harmer bowled another good over. Markram then got his first wicket as he removed Sundar for 31 off 92 balls with 2 fours to his name. Markram bowled a full delivery around the off-stump line that pitched and spun away. Sundar was forward to defend and played with soft hands but failed to counter the spin and bounce. The ball took the shoulder of the bat and went low to the first slip. Harmer dived forward to take a two-handed catch. Kuldeep Yadav came out to bat next and got off the mark soon.
Harmer continued and bowled another good over. Markram bowled another decent over. Harmer got another wicket as he removed Kuldeep for 1 off 13 balls. Harmer bowled a full length ball pitching on the leg stump spinning away past the outside edge as Kuldeep was forward in defence but played down the wrong line to get hit on the back pad in front of the middle stump. The umpire gave it OUT. Kuldeep reviewed in hope and he burnt the review as well. Jasprit Bumrah came out to bat next.
Keshav Maharaj came into the attack and Axar decided enough is enough. He first hit Keshav for a boundary by going down on one knee and swept hard in front of square on the leg side to deep forward square leg. Axar then went big as he slog swept it over forward square leg for the maximum. Axar then took on Maharaj by going straight down the ground over long-on for the maximum. But Maharaj had the last laugh as he removed Axar for 26 off 17 balls with one four and 2 sixes.
Maharaj tossed it up outside the off-stump. Axar’s eyes lit up seeing the flight and he got down on one knee and went for the slog again. He miscued and lost his shape as he sliced it off the bottom of the bat with it turning on his hands on impact high in the air towards midwicket. Bavuma circled around near the 30-yard circle and took a stunning catch. Mohammed Siraj came out to bat next and got out first ball.
Maharaj dismissed Siraj for a golden duck. He bowled from around the wicket nicely flighted full around the off-stump that spun away. Siraj was on the front foot and pushed at it. He got an outside edge that carried low to the first slip fielder. Markram took a good low catch with two hands and fingers were underneath it. Bumrah remained unbeaten on 0 and with Gill not batting, the game was done and dusted with India 93 all out and the Proteas winning by 30 runs. Just one extra given by the fielding side.
Simon Harmer was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa with figures of 4/21 in 14 overs. Marco Jansen chipped in with 2/15 in 7 overs. Keshav Maharaj chipped in with 2/37 in 9 overs. Aiden Markram finished with 1/5 in 3 overs. Corbin Bosch finished with 0/14 in 2 overs. South Africa won by 30 runs and Simon Harmer was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead.Â
The Eden Gardens Test is done and dusted with South Africa winning by 30 runs to take a 1-0 lead inside 3 days. The next Test match takes place in Guwahati and it will be an early start at 9 AM IST on Saturday 22nd November 2025. South Africa will fancy winning it 2-0 while India will hope to bounce back and level the 2-match series 1-1. Let’s see what Guwahati has instore for us.
Also Read:Â IND VS SA: South Africa Fights Hard With Bat And Ball To Push India Back.