Indian pace ace blows away world champs with blistering spell in series opener

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah claimed a five-wicket haul as India bowled out South Africa for 159 on day one of the first cricket Test on Friday.

Electing to bat at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, reigning world Test champions South Africa lost regular wickets to survive just 55 overs of play. India ended the day 1/37 in reply with KL Rahul (13*) and Washington Sundar (6*) at the crease.

Bumrah struck twice in the third over after tea to send back Simon Harmer and last man Keshav Maharaj, for a duck, for his 16th five-wicket haul in Test cricket since his debut in 2018.

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South Africa are without key pace bowler Kagiso Rabada who was ruled out of the game due to a rib injury.

Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton started briskly in a 57-run opening stand before falling to Bumrah.

India soon seized control, with spinner Kuldeep Yadav and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj taking two wickets each.

Spin was introduced in the eighth over with Axar Patel bowling his left-arm orthodox but Markram kept up the attack with another set of boundaries.

Bumrah broke the opening stand when he bowled left-hander Rickelton for 23 to raise the noise of a large crowd.

He then produced a gem to send back Markram, caught behind for 31 on a rising ball that got the glove as returning wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant completed a diving catch.

Kuldeep kept up the bowling charge and took down Temba Bavuma, with the skipper caught at leg slip for three.

Wiaan Mulder and Tony de Zorzi -- who both scored 24 -- took the team past 100 and into lunch before Kuldeep trapped Mulder lbw with the batsman attempting a reverse sweep off the left-arm wrist spinner.

Bumrah ended de Zorzi’s defiance and the batter, like Mulder, wasted a review with tracker on both occasions showing the ball would have hit the stumps.

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