South Africa hit back with three wickets after falling for 286 on thrilling first day

When it comes to high-profile Test series, there’s often a vast gulf between hype and reality. But day one at Newlands, as the No.1 and No.2-ranked sides in the world faced off, more than lived up to its billing as India and South Africa delivered an utterly compelling day of Test cricket.

South Africa got off to a nightmare start, recovered, slumped again, and then rode on some old-fashioned tail-end heaves to finish with 286. In the 14 overs available before stumps, India were left tangled in the ropes at 28 for 3, as Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel all took a wicket apiece. Morkel landed the biggest blow with the first ball of his spell, as Virat Kohli edged behind to be out for five.

The first eyebrows were raised at the toss. South Africa won it, and chose to bat, despite having picked four specialist seamers and Keshav Maharaj, the left-arm spinner, in their XI. As for India, they left out Ajinkya Rahane, the vice-captain, for Hardik Pandya, and also handed a first cap to Jasprit Bumrah, in place of the experienced Ishant Sharma.

But it was another man who had been on the fringes for most of India’s home Tests over the past two seasons that left his imprint on the initial passage of play. Bhuvneshwar Kumar snaffled Dean Elgar third ball with subtle away movement, and then swung one back in to trap Aidan Markram leg before. Then, the big one, as Hashim Amla – who has scored five of his 28 centuries against India – flirted with one outside off stump.

Just 22 minutes into the morning’s play, the scoreboard read 12 for 3. But as at The Wanderers four years ago, when the two Pretoria boys nearly pulled off an implausible pursuit of 458 on the final day, South Africa had AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis to lead them out of the wilderness. The last time de Villiers batted against India, he painstakingly saw off 297 balls for 43 in a vain attempt to save a Test in Delhi.

In the shadow of Table Mountain, he chose a rather different tempo, playing his strokes from the off. Punishing pulls and ferocious cuts were interspersed with fluent drives as the bowlers saw their stranglehold disappear. Mohammed Shami and Bumrah beat the bat often but struggled to find the right length. The mistakes were inevitably punished, as du Plessis too joined in.

The two took South Africa to lunch, but the run rate slowed thereafter as Pandya bowled a tidy spell. The beneficiary was Bumrah, who sneaked one through de Villiers’ defence to reduce the hosts to 126 for 4. De Villiers, undone by a hint of inward movement, made 65 from 81 balls.

Du Plessis followed in bizarre circumstances. Having survived a vociferous leg-before appeal from Pandya – after India reviewed, TV replays showed the ball trimming the top of the stumps – he then played a loose stroke to be caught behind. But any thoughts India had of a quick wrap disappeared quickly as Quinton de Kock came in and unleashed a breathtaking array of shots.

Philander didn’t tread water either, and the two added 60 in just nine overs as the Indian bowlers lost their discipline. Once again, though, they found a wicket when they needed it, with Bhuvneshwar returning to induce a thin edge from de Kock. Had Shikhar Dhawan not put down a sitter at third slip as Maharaj flashed hard, South Africa’s plight would have been even worse.

After the reprieve, Maharaj played some lovely strokes, including an emphatic straight six off Ravichandran Ashwin. Philander was bowled by a bail-trimmer from Shami, but Kagiso Rabada also showed off his batting chops with a massive six over long-off off Bhuvneshwar as the tail wagged animatedly.

A smart bit of fielding from Ashwin saw Maharaj run out by a whisker, but Steyn and Rabada then frustrated India for half an hour before Ashwin got Rabada to cut one into Wriddhiman Saha’s gloves. Morkel was then trapped leg before, and the Indians sprinted off knowing that they would face the most awkward of examinations in the final hour and a quarter of play.

So it proved. Murali Vijay made just one from 17 balls before edging Philander to Elgar at gully, and Dhawan, who had made breezy progress to 16, top-edged an attempted pull back to an exultant Steyn. But it was Kohli’s exit that truly deflated the Indian fans among the 14,912 that came through the turnstiles. A day that had begun with such high notes for the tourists ended with a soundtrack of jubilant South African celebrations.