India Vs South Africa Highlights, 1st Test Match Day 1: Bumrah Stars With Fifer As IND Trail By 122 Runs At Stumps

We’re back with live coverage of the game’s classiest format, Test cricket! India take on the reigning WTC champions South Africa. Expect drama, skill, and fierce battles, stay tuned for all the live updates.

The live streaming for India vs South Africa 1st Test will be available on JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar, while the entire Test series will be televised live on the Star Sports Network in India. Fans can watch the action unfold on the JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar apps and websites.

India XI: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.

South Africa Likely XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (c), Kyle Verreynne (wk), Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada.

India Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Devdutt Padikkal, Akash Deep

South Africa Squad: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma(c), Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne(w), Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Corbin Bosch, Senuran Muthusamy, Zubayr Hamza, Wiaan Mulder

India: Ryan ten Doeschate believes Dhruv Jurel is simply unstoppable in his current form, even with Rishabh Pant returning. As a result, India have put their seam-bowling all-rounder experiment on hold, releasing Nitish Reddy from the first Test squad and moving him to the India A side for the unofficial ODIs until November 19. Pant will slot back into the XI.

South Africa: Fresh off their success in Rawalpindi, South Africa arrive in India buzzing at the prospect of leaning into their spin options. Back at the helm after missing the Pakistan tour, WTC-winning captain Temba Bavuma isn’t giving anything away yet.

South Africa have won the toss and have opted to bat first against India.

Shubman Gill: (On losing yet another toss) I think the only toss I’m going to win is hopefully in the WTC Final. It looks like a good surface, hopefully we get some movement early and are able to extract it. The dressing room is amazing, this Test bunch is hungry and determined every time we step out. These two Tests are very crucial for us and we’re as hungry as ever.

It should be a good surface for the first day or two, and then hopefully we’ll get some turn as the game goes on. Rishabh comes back in place of Reddy since we last played, and Axar is also back in the side.

Temba Bavuma: We will have a bat. The boys have just come back from Pakistan, while I was with the A team. From a preparation point of view, we’ve done as well as we can. It’s not every day you play in front of 50,000–60,000 people, so I’m looking forward to the challenge. Being back in India is always an eye-opener.

Being World Test Champions sits well, and hopefully nothing changes. From a performance point of view there’s more pride, but we aim to keep doing what we’ve been doing. (On the pitch) It’s on the dry side, not much grass, a typical Indian wicket. First-innings runs will be key. Rabada misses out with a rib injury, and Corbin Bosch comes in.

South Africa (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma(c), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne(w), Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj

India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton walk out to begin the innings. Markram takes strike, and Jasprit Bumrah has the new ball in hand to open the attack.

Bumrah rolls in for his second delivery of the over, and chaos follows. Markram shoulders arms, the ball nips away, stays wickedly low, and sneaks under Pant’s dive. Gill at slip shuffles aside as it grazes past desperate fingertips and trickles away to the boundary.

Byes, four. India feel the sting early at Eden.

The first Test at Eden Gardens began with South Africa opting to bat, but they walked out without Kagiso Rabada, a huge setback caused by a rib injury that pushed Corbin Bosch into the XI.

India responded with an aggressive, spin-heavy plan, loading up with Jadeja, Axar, Kuldeep, and Washington alongside Bumrah and Siraj. The hosts also made a bold call by playing both Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel, signalling full confidence in their depth and adaptability on a dry surface expected to break down as the match progresses.

Siraj comes on and Rickelton wastes no time. Siraj offers width outside off at 131.9kph, and Rickelton stands tall to carve a clean cut through point, crisp, controlled, and racing away to the rope.

India respond by dropping to two slips, but the left-hander keeps pressing on. Siraj goes fuller next ball, hovering around off, and Rickelton strides forward to push-drive it just past the non-striker. Perfect timing, quick outfield, another boundary as South Africa keep the early rhythm going.

Rickelton digs in, Bumrah pounds the deck at 137.7kph, short of a length, angling across. Rickelton stays rooted, presents the bat, and drops it dead on the off-side. No run, but plenty of intent from both sides.

Bumrah does what Bumrah does, out of nowhere, he turns Eden Gardens electric! He comes round the wicket, hits that nagging good length at 140.7kph, gets just a hint of movement, and boom, the off-stump is knocked back. Rickelton was shaping up nicely on 23 off 22, but he ends up playing the wrong line and loses his woodwork.

India finally break through, and the roar says it all.

Jasprit Bumrah is on fire at Eden Gardens! After cleaning up Rickelton, he turns his sights on Markram. A short-of-length delivery at 137.7kph rises sharply, catching Markram by surprise.

He gets a faint nick on the shoulder of the bat, and Rishabh Pant swoops to his right to take a brilliant catch. Two wickets in no time, Eden is buzzing, and Bumrah has already stamped his authority early in the Test.

Another blow for South Africa! Kuldeep Yadav tosses it up, spins it back in, and Bavuma steps forward to defend. The ball catches the inside edge and flies straight into the waiting hands of Dhruv Jurel at backward short-leg. Just like that, India slice through the top order, and the Proteas are reeling early in this Test.

Tony de Zorzi and Wiaan Mulder are out at the crease, trying to steady the ship after those early blows. Kuldeep Yadav bowls a fraction short, and the ball hops off the pitch with extra bounce. De Zorzi fends at it but can’t quite control the chop, it bounces through to cover. No run, but India’s top-order attack is keeping the visitors on edge.

South Africa reached 105 for 3 at lunch after winning the toss, but India fought back well. Jasprit Bumrah led the charge, striking twice to remove Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram, while Kuldeep Yadav trapped Temba Bavuma in between. The visitors’ openers had put on 57, but Tony de Zorzi and Wiaan Mulder have steadied the innings since.

The pitch has offered uneven bounce and some spin, yet the fast outfield allows the scoreboard to tick. Play resumes at 12:10 pm for the post-lunch session.

Welcome back, everyone! After a sharp first session, Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav were India’s standout bowlers. As the players return, Kuldeep will take the new ball from one end, with slips and leg slip in place. Will India strike early again? The stage is set at Eden Gardens.

Kuldeep Yadav starts probing Stubbs straight away. First ball, well down the leg-side, spins further in, and Rishabh Pant collects it cleanly, sharp hands behind the stumps. Next up, Kuldeep dances down the pitch, meets it right on the full, and Stubbs drives firmly straight to him. No runs yet, but India’s spinners are keeping the pressure on.

Ravindra Jadeja comes into the attack and immediately tests Stubbs. Fired in on a good length, the ball grips slightly and zips past the outside edge as Stubbs tries to punch through the off-side. No run, but the pressure is building.

Mohammed Siraj doubles India’s delight! A teasing 130.8kph delivery tails in off a length, and Marco Jansen steps half-forward to defend. The ball sneaks through the bat-pad gap and crashes into the top of off-stump. India strike again, and Jansen departs for a duck, two wickets in the over and the Proteas in early trouble.

Siraj fires in at 139.2kph, and Corbin Bosch clips a full delivery gently towards mid-on. The pair sets off for a quick single, and though Bumrah hurls a sharp direct hit at the bowler’s end, Bosch slides in safely. Just the one run, but the Proteas keep the scoreboard moving.

Another breakthrough for India! Axar Patel beats Corbin Bosch with a 92.5kph delivery. Bosch gets forward to defend, but the ball sneaks onto the pads. Huge appeal, umpire Chris Gaffaney takes a moment, and raises the finger. India strike again, and Bosch departs for 3.

Axar Patel continues from one end. First up, Stubbs faces a delivery and defends, no run. Next ball, Harmer gets a chance, as Axar flights one on middle and leg; he nudges it behind square on the on-side and sneaks a single. The scoreboard moves, but India maintain control.

South Africa’s promising start at 57 without loss quickly turned into a collapse, leaving them all out for 159. The openers laid a positive foundation, but Jasprit Bumrah ripped through the top order, claiming 5 for 27, while Kuldeep Yadav spun a web around the middle order.

Bavuma, Mulder, de Zorzi, Verreynne, and Stubbs all fell cheaply, with only Markram reaching 31. Mohammed Siraj chipped in with two wickets, and variable bounce made batting tricky. India dominated after the early flurry, leaving the Proteas with a modest total to defend.

Back for the post-South Africa innings session, India send out Yash Jaiswal and KL Rahul, with Jaiswal taking strike. Marco Jansen gets the new ball, steaming in from the Pavilion End, and South Africa set three slips and a gully, ready to make the most of any early movement. The stage is set at Eden Gardens.

Marco Jansen strikes early at Eden Gardens. Yash Jaiswal tries to force one off the back foot, but the length drags back sharply, and he gets a thick inside edge onto his off-stump. The Eden roar turns into stunned silence as Jaiswal trudges back for 12 off 27, leaving India reeling straight away.

Maharaj pitches one slightly short, and KL Rahul rocks back beautifully, driving it cleanly through extra cover. Perfect timing off the back foot, sometimes a good delivery just meets an even better shot.

With the lights going down, the umpire calls for stumps on the opening day. It has been a good performance from the Indian bowlers, and, despite losing Jaiswal, India have built a strong base. The Men in Blue trail by 122 runs at stumps.