What happened on Day 1 of the 1st IND vs SA 2023-24 Test?

Pacer Kagiso Rabada shone with 5-44 from 17 overs as South Africa dominated Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test against India at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Tuesday, December 26.

After the toss was delayed due to rain, the Proteas asked the visitors to bat first under challenging conditions. India’s batters struggled, as they ended the day at 208-8 in 59 overs. It could have been worse but for KL Rahul’s defiant 70* off 105.

India lost both their openers early in the first session. Captain Rohit Sharma (5 off 14) hooked a short ball from Rabada straight to long leg. Yashasvi Jaiswal (17 off 37) nicked one from Test debutant Nandre Burger, which pitched outside off and invited the drive.

Shubman Gill (2 off 12) gloved one from Burger down leg - South Africa taking a smart review to overturn the original decision of not out. Gill’s exit left India in dire straits at 24-3.

Things could have been worse for the batting side had the Proteas held on to their catches. Two went down in quick succession. Shreyas Iyer was put down by Marco Jansen, while Tony de Zorzi dropped Virat Kohli, who flicked a fuller one from Burger to the left of square leg.

Shreyas and Kohli batted defiantly and lead a mini-fightback, adding 68 for the fourth wicket. Rabada, though, struck immediately after lunch, knocking over Shreyas (31 off 50) with one that came back in sharply and kept a bit low as well.

Kohli (38 off 64) was done in by a perfect Test match length from Rabada. The Proteas pacer got one to angle in at off and move the ball away late, forcing a nick from the patient Kohli.

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Resilient Rahul guides India past 200

Rahul stitched a few crucial partnerships with the lower order to ensure that the visitors went past the 200-run mark.

After Ravichandran Ashwin was out for eight, nicking one that reared up from a length, Rahul and Shardul Thakur (24 off 33) added 43 for the seventh wicket. The duo found a few crucial boundaries, with Rahul whacking Jansen for a six over extra cover.

Thakur copped a couple of blows off short deliveries. His resilience, though, ended when he drove a length ball from Rabada straight to short mid-off.

With the scalp, the seasoned South African pacer completed a well-deserved five-wicket haul. Rahul continued the fight for India and brought up his half-century in style, whacking Burger for four and a six off consecutive deliveries.

At the other end, Jasprit Bumrah (1 off 19) dragged a full and pacy delivery from Jansen that angled in back onto the stumps. Rahul took India past 200 with consecutive fours off Gerald Coetzee before hitting another one off Jansen in what turned out to be the last over of the day.