India’s stunning collapse and Siraj’s brilliance | Second Test

India’s staggering collapse against South Africa in the second Test at Newlands? stunned the cricketing world as they lost six wickets without adding a single run to the board.

Despite their impressive bowling that restricted South Africa to a mere 55 runs in the first innings, India’s batting lineup faltered unexpectedly when they were in a promising position of 153/4.

Mohammed Siraj played a pivotal role, showcasing exceptional bowling figures of 6/15, including a remarkable streak of nine consecutive overs, which dismantled South Africa’s batting order. This extraordinary performance limited South Africa to their lowest total since 1931/32. However, the attention shifted away from Siraj’s heroics due to India’s sudden batting collapse.

In a rapid succession of dismissals, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna fell victim to Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada, resulting in India losing six wickets within a mere 11 balls. South Africa’s stand-in captain, Dean Elgar, emphasized the significance of a strong start to defend their 1-0 series lead.

Nevertheless, India managed to seize control during the morning session by exploiting the pitch’s bounce and seam movement. Siraj’s mastery over the conditions posed a significant challenge for the batsmen as he initiated the collapse, claiming crucial dismissals of Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar early on.

Jasprit Bumrah also contributed to the flurry of wickets by removing Tristan Stubbs. Siraj continued his stellar performance, claiming the scalps of David Bedingham, Marco Jansen, and top scorer Kyle Verreynne, completing an impressive six-wicket haul. This remarkable collapse occurred amid controversy surrounding South Africa’s team selection.

Criticism was directed at the squad chosen for the Test series against New Zealand due to the lack of experience, with seven debutants and a captain, Neil Brand, making his first appearance. The selection issues stemmed from a Cricket South Africa ruling that limited the selection to players contracted to SA20 franchises.

Consequently, only Keegan Petersen and David Bedingham remained from the side that recently triumphed over India. This decision raised eyebrows, particularly as South Africa leads the standings in the 2023-25 World Test Championship.

Former Australian captain Steve Waugh expressed his frustration on Instagram, labeling the situation as “flabbergasting.” As India aims to capitalize on South Africa’s turmoil, anticipation grows for another thrilling Test match.

Despite India’s collapse, they remain the betting site favorites at -153.85 to win the 2nd Test, largely due to South Africa’s disappointing performance.

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