Bumrah Leads India As South Africa Fall For 159 In First Test

India made a strong start in the first Test at Eden Gardens as Jasprit Bumrah produced a brilliant bowling spell to put South Africa under huge pressure. South Africa had won the toss and decided to bat first on a pitch that offered variable bounce. At the beginning, it looked like a good decision because their openers added 57 runs without losing a wicket. Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram played confidently and looked comfortable. But once Bumrah came into the attack with his sharp movement and consistent pace, the match changed completely. He removed both openers in quick succession, and South Africa began to collapse. This early shift in momentum helped India take full control of the day.

South Africa’s innings fell apart after the first-wicket stand. From 57/0, they lost all ten wickets for just 102 more runs and were bowled out for 159. Their middle order could not handle the pressure created by India’s bowlers. Bumrah took important wickets at regular intervals and finished with figures of 5 for 27, marking his 16th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav supported him well by taking two wickets each, and Axar Patel also picked up one wicket. Their combined effort pushed South Africa into a difficult position on the very first day of the match.

Before the collapse, South Africa’s openers played confidently. Rickelton played freely and scored boundaries against Mohammed Siraj. Markram, after a slow start, hit some beautiful shots and even smashed Axar Patel for a six over long-on. This was South Africa’s first opening partnership of 50 runs in India after 17 innings, giving them hope for a good total. But Bumrah returned with smart bowling, beating Rickelton’s bat and knocking over his stumps. Soon after, he forced Markram to edge the ball to Rishabh Pant. These two wickets destroyed South Africa’s early progress.

After the fall of the openers, South Africa’s middle order struggled against India’s disciplined bowling. Temba Bavuma was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav with a clever plan that placed a fielder at leg slip. Dhruv Jurel took a sharp catch to remove the South African captain for just three runs. Mulder and de Zorzi tried to steady the innings, but India’s bowlers did not allow them to settle for long.

After the lunch break, Bumrah and Kuldeep continued to bowl with accuracy and patience. Mulder tried a reverse sweep against Kuldeep but missed the ball and was trapped in front of the stumps. South Africa’s decision to review the dismissal failed. Soon after, Bumrah trapped Tony de Zorzi with a ball that kept low and came in sharply. This added more pressure on South Africa, who were already losing wickets quickly.

South Africa tried to rebuild their innings through Stubbs and Verreynne, but Mohammed Siraj’s reverse swing created more trouble. He dismissed both Verreynne and Jansen in the same over. Verreynne was beaten by a ball that came in late and was given out lbw, while Jansen was bowled by a sharp inswinger. Before the tea break, Axar Patel added another wicket by trapping Corbin Bosch lbw. These quick wickets pushed South Africa towards a low total.

After tea, South Africa added only five more runs before Bumrah cleaned up the tail. He bowled Simon Harmer with a ball that came in sharply and trapped Keshav Maharaj lbw soon after. His excellent spell thrilled the Kolkata crowd, who cheered loudly for him throughout the day. South Africa were eventually bowled out for 159, their second-lowest first-innings score against India.

India ended Day 1 in a very strong position after a complete bowling performance. Bumrah’s five-wicket haul, supported by Siraj, Kuldeep, and Axar, ensured that South Africa lost the advantage of winning the toss. India will now look to build a solid lead when they start their batting on Day 2.