05/01Result
1st Test, India tour of South Africa at Cape Town, Jan 5-8 2018
South Africa won by 72 runs
Player of the Match
Vernon Philander
Vernon PhilanderSouth Africa
05/01Result
1st Test, India tour of South Africa at Cape Town, Jan 5-8 2018
South Africa won by 72 runs
Player of the Match
Vernon Philander
Vernon PhilanderSouth Africa

Day 4

2061dSidharth Monga in Cape Town

India should rue fatal first day

It's easy to fall for recency bias and blame a fourth-innings collapse for losing a winnable contest, but India know their bowlers and batsmen really let the Newlands Test slip in the first innings

2061dESPNcricinfo staff

'A master of his craft'

Vernon Philander took the plaudits after a career-best effort gave South Africa the series lead in a low-scoring encounter at Newlands

2061dSidharth Monga in Cape Town

Big Vern reels in the big fish

Over the course of 13 balls delivered from his favourite Wynberg End, Vernon Philander set Virat Kohli up and sent him back with the most artful of knockout blows

2061dSidharth Monga in Cape Town

Rohit, Dhawan and the limits of 'current form'

Runs against Sri Lanka earned Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan their places in India's XI for Cape Town, ahead of Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul respectively, but neither justified his selection

Day 3

2061dSidharth Monga in Cape Town

Afterlife in the Newlands turf

Eddie Barlow and Hylton Ackerman are among the famous names whose ashes have been scattered on the Newlands outfield, but you don't need to have been a cricketer to make this famous ground your final resting place

Day 2

2061dBharath Seervi

Pandya - 93 (95), other India batsmen - 102 (347)

Statistical highlights from Hardik Pandya's rapid knock at Newlands, including his share out of India's total, his scoring against South Africa's quicks and where his average stands now

2061dESPNcricinfo staff

India could chase 350 to win - Pujara

While Kagiso Rabada believed the pitch was difficult, the India batsman said the visitors could overhaul anything around 350 in the final innings to go 1-0 up in the series

2061dSidharth Monga in Cape Town

A day when Pandya talked, and walked it too

The impact of the 24-year-old allrounder's 93 runs and two wickets in this Test will be seen soon, but there is a larger impact of this effort that merits commendation

Day 1

Report
2061dThe Report by Alagappan Muthu

South Africa make big strikes after falling for 286

Cape Town dealt almost exclusively in hair-raising action. The day began with three wickets in the first six overs. And it ended with three more in nine. The fast bowlers, from both teams, had fun

2061dSidharth Monga at Newlands

India's surprise moves turn into damp squib

Can surprising selection choices, unsuitable lines and lengths, and the dropped catch witnessed on the opening day justify the visitors' pre-series claims of preparedness?

2061dFirdose Moonda at Newlands

The late reappearance of Steyn magic

Dale Steyn, whose chances of donning the Test whites looked meek after his shoulder injury, did not make a dramatic start on his Test return. But in his third over, he unfurled the magic

Others

Philander's best

6/44

Vernon Philander's figures in the second innings - his career-best in Tests. He ended the Test with three wickets in four balls.

Another bowlers' session

7/82

Score in the second session of day 4. In the first session, 8 wickets fell for 65 runs. 15 wickets have fallen in first two session so far.

India's session

8/65

South Africa's score in the first session on Day 4. They began the day at 65 for 2 but were all out for 130, adding just 65 more runs.

Rare high for pacers

1

This is the first time 4 India fast bowlers have taken at least a wicket in both innings of a Test - Bhuvneshwar, Shami, Bumrah and Pandya.

Amla fails again

23.10

Hashim Amla's average in first or only Tests of a series since 2015, in 19 inns. He has just 2 50+ scores in this period. Before 2015, he averaged 70.42 in first Tests with 23 50+ scores in 52 inns.

Solid recovery

92

Runs added by India's first 7 wickets. Pandya and Bhuvneshwar have added more than that so far.

Philander's hundredth

100+

Wkts for Philander in Tests at home in 23 Tests. Pujara was his 100th wicket.

Top-order busted

39

Runs aggregated by top-3 wickets for both teams in their first inns of this Test - 12 for SA and 27 for Ind - is the lowest in a Test in SA since their readmission and second-lowest in any Test in last 15 years.

Pacers' day

2

No. of instances in last 10 years when four India fast bowlers picked at least a wicket in a Test innings, including this game. The only other occasion was against Australia at WACA in 2011-12.

Standing strong

2013

Last time AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis shared a partnership of 50+ runs in Tests, before doing it today. Their last such stand was also against India, 205 runs while chasing in J'Burg in Dec 2013.

Three-down quickly

1

No. of times India have got three wickets conceding fewer runs in their first inns of a tour outside Asia, than this match's 12 for 3. They had begun the 2006-07 tour of SA with 5 for 3 in Johannesburg.

Striking start

1992

Last time India got their first wicket of the tour earlier than this tour as Bhuvneshwar dismissed Elgar off the third ball. Kapil Dev had dismissed Jimmy Cook first ball of the 1992-93 tour.

Toss matters?

7-1

South Africa's win-loss record in 11 Tests at Newlands in Cape Town, in last 10 years. However, they have won the toss only twice in those 11 matches.