India Vs South Africa Live Score, 1st Test Match Day 1: Bumrah Strikes Twice As SA Openers Fall | SA 82/3 (18)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.