Five-star Bumrah!

Ace India pacer stars with 5-42, while Shami and Umesh snatch two wickets each to bundle out South Africa for 210; visitors lead by 70 at stumps on Day Two

Jasprit Bumrah shut his critics up with one of his best five-wicket hauls in the traditional format as the Indian fast bowling unit gave the team a slight edge over South Africa on an exhilarating second day of the third and final Test here on Wednesday.

Bumrah (23.3-8-42-5) was at the heart of India’s swift and brutal counter-attack as he got his seventh five-wicket haul with fine complementary acts from Mohammed Shami (16-4-39-2) and Umesh Yadav (16-3-64-2) that helped them bundle out the Proteas for 210.

SA opener Aiden Markram is cleaned up by Jasprit Bumrah on the second day of the third Test at Newlands yesterday. Pic/AFP

The lead of 13 that India managed was less about the quantum and more about the psychological advantage that they gained and despite losing Mayank Agarwal (7) and KL Rahul (10) cheaply, the visitors scored runs at a fair clip to reach 57 for two at stumps.

Skipper Virat Kohli (batting 14) and Cheteshwar Pujara (batting 9), with a cumulative experience of 194 Tests, have the responsibility of taking the team to a winning total.

And while statistics at times are of little or no relevance, but Kohli wouldn’t be too unhappy to know that India have never lost a Test match in which his premier strike bowler has taken a five-wicket haul.

It was a day when Kohli’s captaincy acumen was worth praising as he made relevant bowling changes at the right time, juggled with subtle field placings and also took his 100th catch in Test cricket. But someone who would be really smiling at the end of the day is Bumrah, who had a forgettable game at the Wanderers and copped a fair amount of flak for bowling too short.

The delivery that got Aiden Markram was pitched just a shade outside off-stump and it seemed to be going straight but suddenly jagged back embarrassing the South African opener.

Zero
No. of times India have lost a Test match when Jasprit Bumrah contributed a fifer

Jasprit’s seven 5-wicket hauls

. 2 in South Africa
. 2 in West Indies
. 2 in England 
. 1 in Australia

Brief scores
India 223 & 57-2 v SA 210 (K Petersen 72, T Bavuma 28; J Bumrah 5-42, M Shami 2-39, U Yadav 2-64)

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