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Cricket News: Fans react to the pitch at Newlands in Cape Town after 23 wickets fall on day one of the SA vs IND Test
Whoever coined day three as “moving day” wouldn’t have wanted to catch day one of the second Test between South Africa and India at Newlands. A remarkable 23 wickets fell on the opening day of the New Year’s Test at Cape Town, with India losing six wickets for no runs to collapse to 153 all-out after South Africa were rolled for 55 in the first session. The Proteas then finished on 62/3 in their second innings, still trailing by 36 heading into day two.
The day marked the end of Dean Elgar’s Test career from a batting perspective. He, along with Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs, were dismissed twice on a manic day that has put spotlight on the Newlands pitch. Fans from the subcontinent, especially India, questioned what the furore would have been had 23 wickets fallen on a spinning track. After all, one can understand their reasoning given this surface had uneven bounce and cracks on the first day of the match, culminating in excessive seam movement plus deliveries that both reared up and stayed low.
Mohammed Siraj (6/15) and the South African trio of Kagiso Rabada (3/38), Lungi Ngidi (3/30) and Nandre Burger (3/42) had a field day as only Virat Kohli (46), Rohit Sharma (39), Shubman Gill (36) and Aiden Markram (36*) crossed 20. A total of seven batsmen across both teams were dismissed without scoring, including five of India’s last six. A total of seven India players were dismissed for naught, a Test record.
Fans react to Newlands pitch in Cape Town
Ravi Shastri made headlines for his commentary after India collapsed to be bowled out for 153. “If someone went around the corner for a dump and has come back, India have been bowled out for 153,” he hilariously said. But, the spotlight was on the Cape Town surface, with fans making their views heard on Twitter. Indeed, it will be interesting to see how the ICC responds after the match.
“Plenty of chat about the Test match. India’s collapse, Ravi Shastri commentary, Siraj spell and batsman being out twice in a day. But little being said about the pitch curator? He would be under the spotlight elsewhere,” one fan said. Here are some of the reactions to the pitch at Newlands, including from Sachin Tendulkar and Aakash Chopra.
