India crash to innings defeat inside three days

CENTURION, South Africa (AP):

South Africa inflicted a crushing three-day defeat on India in the first Test, winning by an innings and 32 runs yesterday.

Debutant left-arm pacer Nandre Burger took four for 33 and finished with a match haul of seven for 83.

Burger’s burst, combined with two wickets for Kagiso Rabada (2-32) and three for Marco Jansen (3-36), saw India bowled out by pace for a paltry 131 runs in their second innings. Only Virat Kohli offered serious resistance with 76.

Rabada finished with seven for 91 overall after five for 59 in the first innings.

“We were not good enough to win,” India skipper Rohit Sharma said. “We didn’t exploit conditions with the ball and didn’t show up today with the bat.”

South Africa took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Resuming on 256 for five, the Proteas finished their first innings on 408, thanks largely to a marathon 185-run knock from Dean Elgar. India had been bowled out for 245 in its first innings.

Elgar, playing his last Centurion test after announcing his retirement pre-series, was named player of the match.

“It was a pretty special knock. I tried to play late and focus on the ball, playing it nice and straight,” Elgar said. “We did well to take 20 wickets … KG (Rabada) was brilliant, and Burger showed why he has been a shining light for South African cricket.

“The Indian team is a difficult one to beat, but we were pretty clinical.”

Trailing by 163 runs, India’s second innings got off to the worst possible start and never recovered.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal had been dropped at slip off the very first ball, but he didn’t survive long. He was caught behind off a rising delivery by Burger for five runs off 18 balls.

Sharma had already been bowled for an eight-ball duck after Rabada broke through his defence in the third over.

Shubman Gill (26) played some attractive shots but was bowled playing across the line against Burger.

Gill had added 39 runs with Kohli for the third wicket. Even so, it wasn’t a comfortable partnership and India went to tea at 62 for three.

The procession of wickets continued straight after play resumed as Jansen bowled Shreyas Iyer for six, again playing across the line.

Burger then made quick work of the lower order. First innings’ centurion Lokesh Rahul was caught at second slip. Ravichandran Ashwin hung out his bat on the first ball he faced – caught at gully for a golden duck.

Kohli played some attractive strokes towards the end and reached 50 off 61 balls. Overall, he hit 12 fours and a six but was unable to chase his century, out caught off Jansen.

Cape Town will host the second and final Test, starting January 3.