• India ended Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at a score of 208/8, with KL Rahul unbeaten on 70.

  • Kagiso Rabada was the star performer for Proteas Men as he bagged a sensational fifer to push India on the back foot.

SA vs IND [Twitter reactions]: KL Rahul’s fifty provides India a hope after Kagiso Rabada’s fifer on Day 1 of Boxing Day Test
KL Rahul and Kagiso Rabada (Image Source: Twitter)

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The Boxing Day Test between South Africa and India kicked off with high expectations at Centurion’s SuperSport Park on Tuesday, and it did not disappoint.

After winning the toss and opting to bowl, South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada stole the show with a brilliant fifer that left India struggling at 208/8 by the end of Day 1. However, amidst the chaos, KL Rahul‘s unbeaten fifty emerged as a glimmer of hope for the Indian side.

India’s shaky start

The Indian innings got off to a shaky start, losing key wickets early on. Rohit Sharma departed at 13/1, followed by Yashasvi Jaiswal (23/2) and Shubman Gill (24/3). The Proteas’ pace attack, spearheaded by Rabada, demonstrated its dominance right from the initial overs.

Fightback by Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli

Despite the early setbacks, Shreyas Iyer (31) and Virat Kohli (38) displayed resilience and mounted a fightback. Their partnership provided India with stability, but both batters eventually departed after contributing valuable runs.

Rabada was the chief architect of India’s collapse for South Arica, claiming crucial wickets at regular intervals.

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Kagiso Rabada’s fiery spell

Rabada emerged as the hero for the home team, wreaking havoc in the Indian camp with a sensational fifer. His magical spell saw him dismiss key players, including Rohit, Kohli, Iyer, Ravichandran Ashwin and Shardul Thakur. The 28-year-old bowler’s pace and accuracy proved too much for the Indian batting lineup to handle. With this, Rabada also completed 500 international wickets. Moreover, Nandre Burger contributed with crucial two wickets.

KL Rahul’s unbeaten fifty

Amidst the flurry of wickets, Rahul stood tall as a beacon of hope for India. The resilient batter crafted an unbeaten fifty, reaching 70 not out by the time stumps were called early due to rain. Rahul’s composed innings provided India with a glimmer of hope in the face of adversity, showcasing his ability to anchor the innings and steer the team towards a respectable total.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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CATEGORY: Featured India South Africa

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About the Author:
VISHWANATH HARIHARAN
Vishwanath Hariharan is Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. From breaking news stories to in-depth features and opinion pieces, he has covered a wide range of topics. Vishwanath is very fond of watching cricket. Like many others, he too grew up watching, playing, and imitating his favourite players of the game. MS Dhoni is like a demigod to him. You can connect with him at vishwanath.hariharan@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter & Linkedin.