Indian legendary paceman Jasprit Bumrah took the ball in his new spell after the Tea Break and wound up the Proteas tail just within 2 overs.
Bumrah got to his five-wicket haul with the dismissal of Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj in the same over.
India is playing against South Africa in the first Test at the iconic venue at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Jasprit Bumrah started delivering as the finest pick among the Indian bowlers, as he was their lead pacer in the side, with four other spinners.
Jasprit Bumrah cleaned up Simon Harmer with a delivery that snuck under his bat
Jasprit Bumrah came in to bowl the second over of his new spell after Tea. He was hit for a boundary off the second ball and then replied accurately by the expert Indian pacer. South Africa was already 8 wickets down at the stroke of Tea on Day 1.
Bumrah steamed in and looked just too good for a number 10 batter as he disturbed the woodwork for the Protea batter. The ball was pitched on a good length around off, and it jagged back into the right-hander’s stumps.
As Harmer looked rooted at the crease, the ball snuck under the bat, and it crashed into the off-stump, leaving the batter baffled. Just a quirky smile on Bumrah’s face as he gets things done in his own style.
Five Wickets for Bumrah with Keshav Maharaj’s short stay at the Eden Gardens
In the same over, Bumrah finished the South African innings by cleaning up Keshav Maharaj with the final ball of the over. Another in-swinging yorker that landed right on Maharaj’s boots as he tried to get his leg out, but the ball smashed onto his toes.
In front of the middle and leg stump, India appealed louder, and Rod Tucker raised his finger, and the South African batter had to walk back with no review left to call for a DRS. Bumrah finished the innings with figures of 14 overs, 5 maidens, 27 runs, and 5 wickets.
South Africa was bowled out for 159 runs on Day 1, with Aiden Markram being the pick of the batters with 31 runs. Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne reached double-digit scores.
Jasprit Bumrah breaks a long-time record for India
Jasprit Bumrah was not bowling at the best of his ability in the recent series against the West Indies and Australia. He picked 7 wickets against the West Indies as well, but has made a stunning start to the South Africa series.
Bumrah dismissed five batters and picked up a five-wicket haul by a pacer on the very first day of the Test match at the Eden Gardens. This was the first time for a pace bowler since Ishant Sharma’s record back in 2019 against Bangladesh at the same venue.
Most five-wicket hauls for India:
37 R Ashwin (106 Tests)
35 Anil Kumble (132)
25 Harbhajan Singh (103)
23 Kapil Dev (131)
16 Jasprit Bumrah (51)/Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (58)