KOLKATA: Spinner Simon Harmer claimed a match haul of eight wickets to guide South Africa to an exhilarating 30-run win over India inside three days of a low-scoring opening Check on Sunday.
India, with out captain and main batsman Shubman Gill who was dominated out due to a neck harm he suffered on Saturday, faltered of their chase of 124 to be bowled out for 93 in Kolkata.
Harmer, who had figures of 4-30 within the first Indian innings, struck key blows within the second session together with getting Rishabh Pant caught and bowled for 2 to dent the opposition chase.
Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj struck twice in two balls to pack off India and set off wild celebrations within the South African camp with the reigning world Check champions taking a 1-0 lead within the two-match collection.
Washington Sundar tried to anchor the chase however fell to Aiden Markram’s off-spin for 31.
Axar Patel gave the gang some cheer along with his two sixes off Maharaj earlier than the bowler had his revenge to ship the batter caught out for 26 off 17 balls.
Tempo spearhead Marco Jansen ripped out the Indian openers earlier than lunch with the hosts successfully 10-3 within the absence of Gill, who’s in hospital and “beneath commentary”, on the break and Harmer quickly took cost.
Jansen in his first over acquired the left-handed Yashasvi Jaiswal to nick a size supply to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne, who then took a diving catch to dismiss Rahul.
South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma hit a defiant 55 not out in his group’s second innings complete of 153.
Bavuma performed a defiant knock to maintain South Africa within the hunt after they resumed on 93-7 on a troublesome pitch with inconsistent bounce.
He began the day on 29 and performed with grit to finish the primary half-century of a low-scoring contest.
Bavuma’s 44-run eighth-wicket stand with in a single day companion Corbin Bosch pissed off the Indian bowlers till tempo spearhead Jasprit Bumrah broke by means of.
Bumrah bowled Bosch for 25 earlier than Bavuma reached his fifty in 122 balls, elevating his bat to an applauding dressing room.
Quick bowler Mohammed Siraj shattered Harmer’s stumps for seven and eliminated final man Keshav Maharaj for a duck within the area of 4 balls as Bavuma ran out of companions.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja had figures 4-50.
South Africa fought again on day two after being all out for 159 on Friday after successful the toss and electing to bat.
They dismissed India for 189 on Saturday to maintain the deficit to 30 earlier than once more faltering of their batting.
The second Check begins Saturday in Guwahati.
