Bowlers must improve, says four-wicket Bhuvneshwar

When the opposition win the toss, choose to bat and you bowl them out for 286, taking four wickets yourself, you’d normally count that as a good day’s work.

But Bhuvneshwar Kumar was quick to point out the areas for improvement for him and his teammates after a thrilling first day at Newlands.

He did have a point. His three early wickets reduced the hosts to 12 for 3 and threatened to make a mockery of Faf du Plessis’s decision at the toss. But the captain fought back, with more than a little help from one AB de Villiers, who showed what South Africa have been missing for 18 months by hitting 65 from 85 balls as the pair rebuilt their team’s chances of competing in the match with a partnership of 114. From then on, while wickets flowed, so did runs, and India were disappointed that a wagging tail got the hosts so close to 300, which, with India themselves losing three wickets before the close, now looks a decent score.

"Amazing day. That's how Test cricket is,” Bhuvneshwar said. “We started really well and lost our way in between. We could have bowled a little better, but we gave away 25-30 runs extra.”

He suggested that the Indian attack, comprised of Bhuvneshwar (4-87), Mohammed Shami (1-47), Jasprit Bumrah (1-73), Hardik Pandya (1-53) and Ravi Ashwin (2-21), had offered up too many freebies in what looks like being a low-scoring game.

“It's a decent wicket but there were some overs where we gave away three, four boundaries and we have to change that in the next innings.” Though he caused huge problems with the new ball, Bhuvneshwar’s wickets came at 4.57 an over.

“I just wanted to bowl in good areas. I knew it doesn't swing too much in South Africa so I bowled in the right areas and tried to get them caught behind. Every batsman is vulnerable outside off.”

Though he was eventually undone by a trademark inswinger from the debutant Bumrah, de Villiers was instrumental in the day’s play, and Bhuvneshwar was quick to pay tribute.

“AB is best in the world. His counter-attack hurt us. It's going to be tough. We knew this is a kind of situation we'd have to tackle."

South Africa have a formidable seam line-up of their own in the fourth Test, with Vernon Philander (1-13), Dale Steyn (1-13), Morne Morkel (1-0) and Kagiso Rabada accompanied by the spin of Keshav Maharaj. They ripped out Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli on the first evening to leave the match delicately poised.

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