India’s fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah struck in the last over of the opening session at the ACA Stadium, dismissing Aiden Markram on the stroke of tea on Day One of the second Test in Guwahati.
Proteas opening batters Markram (38) and Ryan Rickelton (35 not out) had been exceptional up to that point, with Markram eventually bowled by an almost unplayable delivery from Bumrah.
Earlier, the pair had negotiated the new ball extremely well, taking the cautious route and knuckling down successfully against some serious new-ball spells from India’s fast bowlers Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Markram got off the mark in the seventh over, striding nicely to a full delivery from Bumrah and guiding it for four through the cover region.
In the very same over, Bumrah (1/7) found the outside edge of Markram’s bat, only for KL Rahul to palm the chance to ground at second slip.
Handed a second life, Markram settled thereafter and played a much freer-flowing innings until he was dismissed on the stroke of tea.
With Bumrah’s breakthrough, South Africa will start the second session on 82/1.
Earlier, Proteas captain Temba Bavuma called correctly at the toss, winning his second of the series and opting to bat first.
Surprisingly, coach Shukri Conrad and Bavuma made only one change to the XI that took the field at Eden Gardens last week. All-rounder Corbin Bosch, despite having had a stellar Test in Kolkata, was dropped for spin-bowling all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy.
There also seems to have been a slight adjustment to the batting order, with Wiaan Mulder pushed down and Tristan Stubbs elevated to number three.
In the India camp, injured captain Shubman Gill has been replaced by Sai Sudharsan, while spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel makes way for seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Rishabh Pant took over the captaincy, becoming the 38th India Test captain.
SA team facing India in second Test
Proteas starting XI: Aiden Markram; Ryan Rickelton; Tristan Stubbs; Temba Bavuma; Tony de Zorzi; Wiaan Mulder; Senuran Muthusamy; Kyle Verreynne; Marco Jansen; Simon Harmer; Keshav Maharaj
