On the second day of the first Test match between South Africa and India in Centurion on Wednesday, star Indian batsman Virat Kohli reproduced the well-known “bail switch” move. Jasprit Bumrah ended Tony de Zorzi and Keegan Petersen’s inning shortly after he flipped the bails. Following the conclusion of South Africa’s inning’s 28th over, Kohli dashed to the batter’s stumps and replaced the bails. Yashasvi Jaiswal caught De Zorzi (28 runs off 62 balls) at the third slip-off early in the 29th over. Bumrah struck once more in the 31st over, dismissing Petersen (2 runs from 7 balls).
The Indian bowling attack was harassed by Dean Elgar and De Zorzi, and Bumrah’s breakthrough broke the 93-run partnership at a critical juncture in the second session. The identical move was previously performed by former English pacer Stuart Broad during the Ashes 2023 series, after which the speedster dismissed Marnus Labuschagne in the Oval Test. Recapping the first session of the second day, Rahul (101 runs from 137 balls) proved to be the ‘Man of Crisis’ once more, as India finished their innings at 245 runs. However, in the opening over of the Proteas’ inning, Mohammed Siraj gave the visitors their first breakthrough when he dismissed Aiden Markram (five runs from seventeen balls). On day two, India lost two wickets quickly, but Rahul stood his ground in front of the Proteas pacers, hitting back-to-back sixes off Kagiso Rabada to clinch his century.
