India vs South Africa 1^st Match Day 1 report : South Africa all out 159

Stumps, Day 1: Bumrah’s Five-for Headlines South Africa’s Collapse to 159; India Crawl to 37/1By Rajiv Mehta, Senior Cricket Correspondent
Eden Gardens, Kolkata – 14 November 2025Jasprit Bumrah walked off the park with the ball tucked under his arm and five South African scalps in his pocket, the Kolkata night air thick with the scent of a Test match turned on its head. In just 55 overs on a spicy Eden Gardens pitch, the first day of the India vs South Africa 1st Test delivered a classic red-ball rollercoaster: South Africa 159 all out, India 37/1 at stumps – still 122 runs adrift but with nine wickets intact and a surface that looks increasingly bowler-friendly.

South Africa batting highlights

South Africa 159 (55 ov) – A Tale of Two SessionsThe visitors won the toss and chose to bat under overcast skies, but the script unravelled faster than anyone anticipated. Jasprit Bumrah (14-5-27-5) was simply unplayable, his spell of 5 for 27 the best by an Indian in Tests against South Africa since Anil Kumble’s 6/12 in 1996.The Early Carnage

• Ryan Rickelton (23 off 22) looked fluent until Bumrah’s inswinging yorker detonated middle stump at 10.3 overs. 57/0 became 57/1.
• Aiden Markram (31 off 48) followed two overs later, gloving a vicious lifter to Rishabh Pant. 62/2.
• Captain Temba Bavuma (3) misjudged Kuldeep Yadav’s wrong’un and lobbed a simple catch to Dhruv Jurel at short leg. 71/3.

Middle-Order MeltdownKuldeep (14-1-36-2) and Mohammed Siraj (12-0-47-2) joined the party. Wiaan Mulder (24) was trapped plumb by Kuldeep’s skidder, and Tony de Zorzi (24) fell lbw to Bumrah’s late inswing. At 120/5, South Africa were staring down the barrel.Tail-End Resistance? Hardly.Kyle Verreynne (16) fought briefly before Siraj’s sharp bouncer trapped him lbw. Marco Jansen (0) had his off-stump cartwheeling in the same over. Corbin Bosch (3) and Simon Harmer (5) offered token resistance, but Bumrah returned to clean up the tail with two lbws in three balls – Keshav Maharaj (0) the final victim at 54.6 overs.

Fall of wickets: 57/1, 62/2, 71/3, 114/4, 120/5, 146/6, 147/7, 154/8, 159/9, 159/10.

Standout Bowling Figures: India Bowling highlights

• Bumrah: 5/27 (best vs SA in India)
• Siraj: 2/47
• Kuldeep: 2/36
• Axar Patel: 1/21

India 37/1 (20 ov) – Survival ModeWith 20 overs to negotiate before stumps, India’s openers faced a fiery South African pace attack on a pitch offering seam movement and variable bounce.

• Yashasvi Jaiswal (12 off 27) looked assured until Marco Jansen (6-2-11-1) produced a peach – full, swinging, crashing into off-stump at 6.6 overs. 18/1.
• KL Rahul (13* off 59) and nightwatchman Washington Sundar (6* off 38) then battened down the hatches. The pair added 19 runs in 13 overs, facing 78 dot balls in a display of grim resolve.

South Africa’s Bowling Discipline:

• Jansen: 1/11 (econ 1.83)
• Corbin Bosch: 0/1 in 3 overs (econ 0.33) – maiden wicketless but suffocating.
• Keshav Maharaj: 0/8 in 5 overs – tight lines.

Key Moments

What the Pitch is Saying

• Day 1 RR: 2.71 (lowest in Kolkata Tests since 2017)
• Seam movement: Pronounced in first session
• Spin: Kuldeep got sharp turn; Maharaj found grip
• Bounce: Variable – short balls hurried batters

Verdict: A result pitch. 250 could be match-winning.

Player of the Day (So Far)Jasprit Bumrah – 5/27. Reverse swing, yorkers, bounce, control. Vintage.

Day 2 Outlook

• India resume at 37/1 (Rahul 13*, Sundar 6*)
• Target: Reach 200+ to take first-innings lead
• Threat: Maharaj and Harmer on a turning track
• X-Factor: Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja – yet to bat

South Africa will back their spinners to exploit the rough. India will bank on their middle order to counterattack.

Close of Play Summary

South Africa 159 (Bumrah 5-27)
India 37/1 (Rahul 13, Sundar 6)**
India trail by 122 runs with 9 wickets in hand

Day 1 belonged to the bowlers. Day 2? The batters fight back – or the collapse continues.Play resumes 9:00 AM IST | Live on Star Sports | Stream on Disney+ Hotstar