Once he enters the ‘flow state’, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has an unmatched ability to take almost all variables out of the equation — pitch state, weather conditions, ball age and even the batter’s capability and intent.
On Friday, the Eden Gardens witnessed Bumrah enter that very zone, as he dismantled the visiting South African side with a masterful seam-bowling display to earn his 16th Test fifer and place India in control of the series opener.
If Bumrah was the lead orchestrator of chaos, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj played out the chorus, with two wickets apiece. The Proteas were toppled for just 159 in 55 overs, in front of a packed opening-day crowd, which rarely had to find an excuse to ripple with excitement.
In response, India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal early on, after the opener chopped on against left-arm pacer Marco Jansen. But KL Rahul and newly instated No.3 batter Washington Sundar prevented any further damage with some sturdy batting, as the home side ended the day at 37 for one.
Earlier, after winning the toss, South Africa walked out with a plan – circumvent Bumrah and attack the rest of the Indian bowling attack.
Their ploy bore fruit early on. Proteas’ openers Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton waded into an unusually errant Siraj, dispatching the Indian pacer for a flurry of boundaries.
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First-change Axar Patel also bore the brunt, as the left-arm spinner conceded three boundaries in his first two overs. Even as South Africa blazed to 57 in the opening 10 overs, Bumrah was corking up the pressure from his end, giving away just nine runs from his five.
The South African openers’ tentativeness to Bumrah proved to be the prelude to their demise. The Indian pace spearhead knocked down the Rickelton’s off stump with an away swinger, before having Markram caught behind with one that reared on from hard length.
Kuldeep soon arrived with the back-up, as he continued in his wicket-taking ways. The left-arm wrist spinner, operating with a tight cordon of close-in fielders, bowled with a flat, direct trajectory to keep the South African batters on their toes.
Skipper Temba Bavuma was the first to succumb to Kuldeep’s guile, edging a leg break to Dhruv Jurel at a cleverly positioned short leg.
Wiaan Mulder and Tony de Zorzi offered resistance with a 43-run stand for the fifth wicket before the former was trapped in front by Kuldeep, attempting a reverse sweep, while the latter was snared by a returning Bumrah with one that seamed in.
Mohammed Siraj found his rhythm in his third spell after his wayward bowling with the new ball and picked up two wickets in the 45th over.
| Photo Credit:
K.R.DEEPAK
Mohammed Siraj found his rhythm in his third spell after his wayward bowling with the new ball and picked up two wickets in the 45th over.
| Photo Credit:
K.R.DEEPAK
Channelling confidence from his bowling colleagues, Siraj finally found his rhythm in his third spell. The Indian pacer produced a burst of in-duckers to bag two wickets — Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen — from the innings’ 45th over, to reassert India’s dominance.
Befittingly, Bumrah closed off the South African innings with the wickets of tailenders Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj to stitch up a well-deserved five-wicket haul.
The day began with India and South Africa diverging with their team combinations, with selection calls which could determine the course of this Test.
While pacer Kagiso Rabada missed out due to a rib injury, South Africa slotted in just two spinners, leaving Senuran Muthusamy on the bench.
India went the other way, opting for four spinners, adding all-rounder Axar Patel into the mix, at the expense of No.3 batter Sai Sudharsan. This is the first time India has entered a Test with four tweakers, after the 2012 Nagpur Test against England.
Published on Nov 14, 2025