Mohammed Siraj blasted through the South African batting lineup on the first day of the New Year’s Test.
Mohammed Siraj led the way as India dismantled the South African batting lineup in the first session of the second Test in Cape Town on Wednesday. The Indian pacers ran through the South African lineup like hot knife through butter and the hosts were bundled out for a record low score of 55 runs. It is the lowest score for the Proteas in Test cricket since 1932 and they could last just 23.2 overs. Siraj ended with figures of 6/15.
It is also the lowest score by any team against India in Test cricket, going past the 62 that New Zealand were all out for at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in December 2021. The lowest score by any team at their own home ground against India was 83 by Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in February 1981.
Mohammed Siraj was on the money from his first over itself and eventually gave India the breakthrough with the wicket of Aiden Markram in the fourth over of the day. Siraj went on to bowl an extended spell in which he took five wickets and then returned to take his sixth. The fast bowler drew a lot of plaudits from all quarters with a number of former India players praising him on social media, including the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
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Siraj is the first Indian to take five wickets in a single session of a Test match since 2011. Since 2016, he is also the second Indian pacer after his teammate Jasprit Bumrah to take six wickets in a single session. He is also the fifth pacer overall to do that alongwith Trent Boult, who has done it twice, Vernon Philander and Chris Woakes.