Shortest Test in history sees SA collapse against India on nightmare pitch

South Africa’s first innings imploded on the first morning of the 2nd Test, as the hosts were rolled out for just 55 at lunch. It was the lowest score by South Africa against India and their 8th-lowest Test score of all time. 

Mohammed Siraj was the star of the morning, picking up 6/15 in a phenomenal display of attacking bowling, albeit on a pitch that was far from the normal Newlands offering.

India got off to a great start to their first innings, reaching 153/4 before the most sensational batting collapse in the history of Test cricket. From 153/4, it took South Africa just 11 balls to dismiss the remaining six batters… and without a run being scored. 

It was the first time in Tests that six wickets had fallen without a run being added, and it again had the batters questioning the pitch.  

Facing a first-innings deficit of 98, Proteas’ star batter Aiden Markram raced to a century on the second morning, lifting South Africa to a lead of 79 before the side was dismissed. 

Markram dominated his side’s scoring, contributing 106 runs out of his team’s total of 176 in the second innings. Markram contributed 60.22% of his side’s total, the 16th highest percentage of a team’s runs scored by a single batter. 

Coming on the back of India’s innings defeat in the 1st Test at Centurion, the visitors were delighted to bounce back and claim the win, which was also the first time they had won a Test match at Newlands, after six previous attempts.

Jasprit Bumrah was the destroyer-in-chief in South Africa’s second innings, snapping up 6/61 to dismiss South Africa for 176, leaving his side a victory target of just 79 runs, which they reached for the loss of just three wickets to level the two-match series 1-1.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Proteas coach Shukri Conrad strongly intimated that the Newlands pitch was unworthy of a Test match.

"You only need to look at the scores, you only need to look at the way they chased a little target of 80 to know. It's a sad state when you need more luck than skill to survive in a Test match," said Conrad. “It wasn't great. Both the cricket and the wicket," he added, claiming that the pitch required "more luck than skill" for batters hoping either survive or score runs.