South Africa beat India, take 1-0 lead

Cape Town : India were bundled out for 135 with Vernon Philander returning career-best figures of 6/42, as the visitors hurtled to a 72-run defeat against South Africa on Day 4 of the first Test in Cape Town. 

On a manic Monday, 18 wickets fell in just over two sessions with South Africa taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The Test changed complexion inside two sessions with India skittling out South Africa for 130 in the morning session after they resumed on overnight total of 65. 

Their lead was thus limited to 207 runs. But after the lunch break, the hosts turned the tables with their pacers running through visitor’s batting line-up like a hot knife through butter.

They lost their first seven wickets for 82 before the pair of R Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar got together to offer some resistance. Together they added 49 runs for the eighth wicket giving some hope to a morose looking Indian dressing room. 

Philander blew away those flickering hopes in one over as he got rid of Ashwin (35), Mohammed Shami (4) and Jasprit Bumrah (0) in the space of four deliveries to finish with a six-wicket haul.

The chase began on a positive note with the openers adding 30 runs. However, India lost both at the same total. Shikhar Dhawan (16) was out in a similar manner to his dismissal in the first innings - a leading edge off Morne Morkel easily caught by substitute fielder Chris Morris. 

Murali Vijay successfully reviewed two decisions, both against Philander before falling to the same bowler. He ran out of luck when AB de Villiers took a brilliant catch in the slips to send him on way back to the dressing room on 13. 

Morkel then also got rid of Cheteshwar Pujara (4) cheaply which brought India captain Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma together with the scorecard reading 39/3.

They seem to have settled in, taking the total past the 50-run mark. Philander, the best bowler on show, kept troubling with a nagging line. He kept bowling outside off and then brought one back that broke Kohli’s resistance as he was trapped lbw on 28.