2nd Test: India enter into first-innings lead against South Africa despite losing top-order

Cape Town, Jan 3 (IANS) Following Mohammed Siraj’s demolishing act of South Africa with a fiery spell of 6-15, India entered into the first-inning lead, despite losing their top-order in the second Test at Newlands Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

At tea, India are at 111/4 in 24 overs, taking a lead of 56 runs, after bowling out South Africa for just 55. It was a session of two halves as India took the lead in less than ten overs, before left-arm pacer Nandre Burger struck with three scalps to be a bright spot for South Africa.

Rohit Sharma set the tone by striking an off-colour Lungi Ngidi for three boundaries, as the pacer conceded 13 runs in his opening over. But Yashasvi Jaiswal fell without scoring, chopping on to his stumps off Kagiso Rabada for a seven-ball duck.

With Ngidi and Burger dishing out half-vollies frequently, Rohit and Shubman Gill brought out delightful strokeplay on both sides of the wicket. Rohit survived two lbw appeals on nip-backers off Rabada and Marco Jansen, before being squared up by extra bounce from Burger.

The Indian skipper looked to defend off him, but the outside edge came off shoulder of the bat and was caught by gully, with Rohit departing for 39 off 50 balls. Virat Kohli had a huge stroke of luck on nought when the outside flew between slips and gully for four.

While Kohli punched and drove on half-vollies, Gill brought out his famed short-arm jab for picking boundaries. But Burger bounced back as Gill poked away from his body and gave a catch to gully moving to his left.

With rhythm found, Burger had another wicket by squaring up Shreyas Iyer and nicked behind to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne. The session ended with Kohli being unbeaten on 20 while KL Rahul was yet to get off the mark after facing seven balls, with the visitors’ aiming to add more runs to their lead in the final session of day one.

Brief Scores: South Africa 55 in 23.2 overs (Kyle Verreynne 15; Mohammed Siraj 6-15) trail India 111/4 in 24 overs (Rohit Sharma 39, Shubman Gill 36; Nandre Burger 3-42, Kagiso Rabada 1-10) by 56 runs

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