RCB and Mumbai Indians stars bag Player of the Match and Series awards in SA vs IND Tests

India registered a historic victory against South Africa in the Cape Town Test to level the series 1-1 and end the tour on a high note.
 By Darpan Jain Jan 4, 2024, 19:56 IST
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It was the first-ever win by an Asian side in the Newlands in Test cricket.

India registered a historic victory against South Africa in the Cape Town Test to level the series 1-1 and end the tour on a high note. After electing to bat first, South Africa got bundled on a mere 55 in the first innings. Only two batters could reach double digits, and no African batter crossed the 15-run mark in this dig.

While batting in the first innings, India looked solid at 153/4 at one stage, but a dramatic collapse ensured the Proteas remained in the game. The Indian team lost six wickets without scoring any runs, a once-in-a-lifetime collapse. Virat Kohli top-scored 46, while Rohit Sharma (39) and Shubman Gill (36) also batted well.

While batting again, South Africa looked down and out, but Aiden Markram held one end firmly. He went on to play his best Test knock, scoring 106 runs in 103 balls, including 17 boundaries and two maximums. The next best score was 12 by Dean Elgar.

Also Read: Virat Kohli gifts his signed jersey to retiring Dean Elgar after win in Cape Town

India required 79 runs to win. The opener - Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal - started positively, attacking the South African bowlers from the first over. While the Rohit Sharma-led side lost three wickets, they managed to chase down the total in only 12 overs. It was the first-ever win by an Asian side in the Newlands in Test cricket.

RCB and Mumbai Indians stars bag Player of the Match and Series awards

There were several top-notch individual performances from both sides throughout the tournament. Mohammed Shami, the lead bowler of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), won the Player of the Match award for his sensational spell in the first session of the first day. He took six wickets while conceding only 15 runs and was the deciding factor eventually.

Siraj grabbed a solitary wicket in the second dig, but his first-innings heroics eased India’s way for the rest of the game. It was among the finest spells by an Indian pacer overseas. Siraj’s marathon spell saw him bowl nine overs, including three maidens and plenty of unplayable balls.

Jasprit Bumrah, India’s finest-ever bowler, won the Man of the Series award for his brilliant bowling performances in both games. He was the standout bowler in the first game, taking four wickets in the only innings he bowled in. Bumrah dismissed as many as two batters in the first innings of the second Test before delivering a match-winning six-wicket haul in the second dig to restrict South Africa from posting a massive total.

Jasprit Bumrah picked up 12 wickets at a fantastic average of 12.92 and a strike rate of 24.25 in two Tests overall. He ended the series as the leading wicket-taker. Dean Elgar was the highest run-scorer with 201 runs and was the joint Man of the Series with Jasprit Bumrah.

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