NEW DELHI: India suffered an early setback on the opening day of the first Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata when Yashasvi Jaiswal, looking scratchy from the outset, fell cheaply to South Africa pacer Marco Jansen. Jaiswal never appeared fully settled at the crease, and Jansen capitalised by targeting the awkward length just short of a driveable zone. The breakthrough came when Jansen dragged his length back and cramped the left-hander for room. Jaiswal, attempting to cut off the back foot despite limited space, only managed a thick inside edge. The ball ricocheted onto his leg stump, sending it cartwheeling. The stadium fell silent as Jaiswal stood momentarily in disbelief before trudging off for 12 off 27 balls, an innings that included three boundaries. It was the wicket Jansen had been relentlessly searching for, and it gave South Africa an early lift.Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir also appeared visibly miffed in the dressing room, and the cameras caught his reaction the moment Jaiswal threw away his wicket.However, the day belonged overwhelmingly to India’s fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who produced a devastating spell to rip through South Africa’s batting lineup and finish with exceptional figures of 5 for 27. After winning the toss and electing to bat on a surface offering variable bounce, South Africa made a promising start, reaching 57 without loss in the 11th over. But once Bumrah found his rhythm and removed both openers in quick succession, the visitors spiralled into a dramatic collapse.Under relentless pressure, South Africa lost all ten wickets for just 102 runs. Their middle order struggled to cope with Bumrah’s precision, sharp movement, and sustained hostility as he claimed his 16th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Supporting him effectively, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav picked up two wickets each, while Axar Patel added one.A crowd of around 35,000 roared Bumrah on during his fiery post-tea burst, and their anticipation peaked when he completed his five-wicket haul. South Africa were eventually bundled out for 159— their second-lowest first-innings total against India — squandering the advantage of winning the toss and handing India early control of the Test.
