PRETORIA: South African seamer Kagiso Rabada grabbed a five-wicket haul and debutant Nandre Burger struck twice as India slumped to 208-8 when rain forced an early end on the opening day of the first Test at Centurion on Tuesday.
Wicketkeeper KL Rahul was not out on 70 with Mohammed Siraj yet to open account on the other end.
Radaba took all four wickets in the afternoon as India, who were 91-3 at lunch, were undone by the pace generated by the experienced bowler just as they were threatening to dominate.
India lost three wickets for 30 runs with Shreyas Iyer bowled for 31, Virat Kohli caught behind for 38 as he feathered a stunning delivery from Rabada and Ravichnadran Ashwin (8) snagged at second slip by leaping substitute fielder Wiaan Mulder.
KL Rahul and Shardul Thakur added 43 runs for the seventh wicket but Rabada was back among the wickets as he had Thakur caught by Dean Elgar for 24 to end a threatening partnership and claim his 14th five-wicket haul in Tests. Jasprit Bumrah was bowled for 1 by Marcus Jansen as India lost their eighth wicket.
Rahul took an aggressive approach to the bowling to keep India in the contest with 10 fours and two sixes as India reached 208 for 8 when rain interrupted the match.
South Africa put India into bat and Rabada made the initial breakthrough after a wet outfield delayed the start by 30 minutes when India captain Rohit Sharma’s injudicious hook presented Burger with a catch at long leg.
It was followed by more of dream start for Burger, one of two new caps for South Africa, as he took two wickets with his first 13 balls in the Test arena.
The 28-year-old had Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill caught behind to leave India teetering on 24-3 but Kohli and Iyer led a fight back with a 68-run partnership. Both were dropped when they had only four runs with Marco Jansen spilling Iyer and Tony de Zorzi putting down Kohli.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma pulled up with a hamstring strain as he chased a boundary-bound shot from Kohli before lunch, necessitating his departure from the arena for a scan.
"It revealed a left hamstring strain and he will undergo daily medical evaluations to determine his participation in the match," the team said in a statement. Bavuma had only recently returned from a similar injury. — Reuters
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