Jasprit Bumrah takes five as India claim slight edge over Proteas
Cape Town, Jan 12: Jasprit Bumrah shut his critics with one of his best five-wicket hauls in the traditional format as the Indian fast bowling unit gave the team slight edge over South Africa on an exhilarating second day of the third and final Test here on Wednesday.
Bumrah (23.3-8-42-5) was at the heart of India's swift and brutal counter-attack as he got his seventh five-wicket haul with fine complementary acts from Mohammed Shami (16-4-39-2) and Umesh Yadav (16-3-64-2) that helped them bundle out the Proteas for 210.
The lead of 13 that India managed was less about the quantum and more about the psychological advantage that they gained and despite losing Mayank Agarwal (7) and KL Rahul (10) cheaply, the visitors scored runs at a fair clip to reach 57 for 2 at stumps.
Skipper Virat Kohli (14 batting) and Cheteshwar Pujara (9 batting), with a cumulative experience of 194 Tests, have the responsibility of taking the team to a winning total.
And while statistics at times are of little or no relevance but Kohli wouldn't be too unhappy to know that India have never lost a Test match in which his premier strike bowler has taken a five-wicket haul.
It was a day when Kohli's captaincy acumen was worth praising as he made relevant bowling changes at the right time, juggled with subtle field placings and also took his 100th catch in Test cricket.
But someone who would be really smiling at the end of the day is Bumrah, who had a forgettable game at the Wanderers and copped a fair amount of flak for bowling too short and not depending on his strengths.
There were analytics showing how his strike-rate (wickets per deliveries) had doubled since a back injury but on Wednesday, he showed that he is skipper Kohli's real X-factor, the man who makes the difference between a good and a world-class side.
The delivery that got Aiden Markram was pitched just a shade outside off-stump and it seemed to be going straight but suddenly jagged back embarrassing the South African opener, who had shouldered arms.
Whenever Markram sees the replay, he would know that Bumrah made him feel inadequate when it came to knowing where his off-stump was.
On the day, Bumrah slightly altered the length making it slightly fuller on the off-stump and the off-stump channel line. The length and bounce was such that batters seemed confused about whether it would bounce above stumps or come at the stumps.
One such delivery got South Africa's best performer Keegan Petersen (72 off 166 balls) as it kicked up awkwardly from length but enough for the batter to have a jab at it and Cheteshwar Pujara accepted the offering at second slip.
But credit should also go to Shami, who in the post lunch session, got two wickets in three balls to unsettle the Proteas after Petersen and Rassie van der Dussen (21) had added 67 for the fourth wicket.
If Umesh set up the session with a conventional outswinger that saw Van Der Dussen edging one to Kohli at second slip, Shami removed the dogged Temba Bavuma (28) and Kyle Verreynne (0) with two ideal Test match deliveries in the 56th over.
The deliveries had everything, upright seam and pitched fuller on the off-stump with just about adequate movement.
Bavuma was caught low by a diving Kohli while Rishabh Pant had a smart take to remove his opposite number.
At stroke of tea, Bumrah settled his scores with Marco Jansen sending his off-stump for a walk.
The best part of the session was skipper Kohli's adjustment when he, at second slip, decided to stand a few steps ahead of the first slip after realising that the ball was not carrying in full.
There were a couple of times when Shardul Thakur (6-1-21-0) found the outside edge of Petersen's bat but on both occasions, the ball died down in front of skipper Kohli at first slip.
The bounce available on the Newlands track isn't as steep as it was at the Centurion and the Wanderers which belong to the Highveld region.
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Modi's Israel visit not good for Mahatma's India: Mehbooba
Srinagar (PTI): Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel was against the country's policy and not a good sign for Mahatma Gandhi's India.
She called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "criminal" who is afraid of visiting many countries lest he be arrested.
"I think our country's policy is against it. Today, the whole world opposes Israel PM Netanyahu. The International Criminal Court has indicted him. He does not visit many countries for fear of arrest. Modi, who represents 140 crore people, goes there and hugs a criminal, meets and talks to him, I think, it is not a good sign for our country, for Gandhi's India," Mehbooba told reporters in Anantnag.
On panchayat elections due in Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba said they should be conducted because the people at the ground-level are beset with problems.
"People believed that after the government was formed, their difficulties would be resolved, but they are not being addressed. So, Panchayat elections should take place, and I request the people not to see a party, but elect good persons so that they serve them tomorrow," she said.
Asked about the anti-corruption bureau raid on a house of a brother of Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Chowdhary, the PDP chief said, "The raid on the brother of the deputy CM makes it clear on whose backing the brother does everything."
"You should ask this question to the deputy CM," the PDP leader added.
VIDEO | Khanbal, J&K: On PM Narendra Modi's visit to Israel, PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti says, "PM went and hugged a criminal. He (Netanyahu) has been shunned by the world, banned from entering many countries."
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 26, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/JuvwoEShxZ
