Fast bowler Mohammed Shami picked up a five-for while left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took four wickets in South Africa’s second innings to power India to a comprehensive 203-run victory in the opening Test of the three-match series.
Chasing an improbable 395 to win, the visitors were all out for 191 in the second session after resuming on 11 for one on the final day in Visakhapatnam.
After Rohit Sharma registered twin tons in his first game as a Test opener to set up India’s push for victory, the hosts’ bowlers put in a clinical performance in the second innings.
Shami snuffed out the Proteas’ hopes of salvaging a draw with his early strikes and returned later to complete his fifth Test five-wicket haul.
Jadeja picked up 4-87, including three in one over, to help India grab 40 points more in the ICC World Test Championship.
Tailender Dane Piedt and debutant all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy showed the grit and determination that was missing from the South African top and middle-order batsmen, adding together a ninth-wicket stand of 91 to delay India’s victory.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Special win in Vizag. 🇮🇳
On to the next one now! 💪 pic.twitter.com/KbQZR7bgnP— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) October 6, 2019
Congratulations to #TeamIndia for going up 1-0 in the series. Well played! #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/7bYFC16CBF
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) October 6, 2019
Team India’s dominance at home continues!Big knock for @mayankcricket & @ImRo45 came as double trouble for SA.Then @imjadeja & @ashwinravi99 ‘s unplayable combination along with @MdShami11 has gotten us to the start we wanted! Let’s hope for a clean sweep in the series!#IndvSA
— Saiyami Kher (@SaiyamiKher) October 6, 2019
What a game this was for India, batsmen scoring in heaps and bowlers taking fifers! Congratulations @MdShami11 on your 5 wicket haul💥#INDvSA
— Reema Malhotra (@ReemaMalhotra8) October 6, 2019
Not just spin, India can win with pace too at home. 👍👏👏👏#INDvRSA
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) October 6, 2019
https://twitter.com/prithinarayanan/status/1180759031863902209
Excellent win. 5th day second session. Near perfect Test match. South Africa will wonder what happened in the first session today. @ImRo45 @mayankcricket @ashwinravi99 @MdShami11 and @imjadeja special match for all of them.
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) October 6, 2019
Strong performance from @BCCI Very strong .. Congratulations!!! 👏👏#INDvSA
— Russel Arnold (@RusselArnold69) October 6, 2019
Top class performance by team India at Vizag. @MdShami11 and @ashwinravi99 were special. @ImRo45 bhai took the opening in tests like he has done in limited overs 🤘 #INDvSA
— Siddharthh Kaul (@iamsidkaul) October 6, 2019
A five-for on the fifth day of the Test match in India. Sensational Shami…. #IndvSA
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 6, 2019
What an amazing spell @MdShami11 #IndvsSA
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) October 6, 2019
India deserved that win. Proteas have some thinking to do. They must combine skill, combinations (good selections) and determination (mental resolve) if they are to bounce back…
— Alviro Petersen (@AlviroPetersen) October 6, 2019
Well done @MdShami11 for your brilliant spell.. 5 wicket hauls.. brilliant 💪.. india won the first test congratulations @BCCI
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) October 6, 2019
Rare & Special ability to bowl wicket taking balls consistently #shami #
— Ajit Agarkar (@imAagarkar) October 6, 2019
Superb bowling by @MdShami11. Where spinners were expected to dominate on the last day, he’s bagged 5 wickets. Some other sterling Indian performances too, Agarwal scoring double ton, spin twins Ashwin and Jadeja brilliant in tandem. But MoM surely @ImRo45 for his 2 tons
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) October 6, 2019
2013 vs WI Rohit made debut and scored 177 in the first innings. Shami took five wicket haul in the second innings & India won.
2019 vs SA Rohit made opening debut and scored 176 in the first innings. Shami took five wicket haul in the second innings & India won.
— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) October 6, 2019
https://twitter.com/hershybru/status/1180720357067706369
Largest wins for India after opposition scoring 400-plus in their first inns:
Inns & 75 runs v Eng, Chennai, 2016
Inns & 52 runs v Pak, Multan, 2004
Inns & 36 runs v Eng, Mumbai, 2016
203 runs v SA, Vizag, 20193 of the top-4 have been achieved by 'this' team under Virat Kohli!
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) October 6, 2019
Four "bowled" wickets by an Indian pacer in an innings:
Jasprit Bumrah vs Bangladesh, CWC19 (ODI)
Jasprit Bumrah vs West Indies, 2019 (Test)
MOHAMMED SHAMI vs South Africa, 2019 (Test)#INDvSA— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) October 6, 2019
