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On This Day In 2021: KL Rahul was adjudged Player of the Match for his stunning century in the first innings of the Centurion Test against South Africa.
Despite claiming a 1-0 lead, India failed to win the series against the Proteas. (Image: ICC/X, formerly Twitter)
On this day (December 30) in 2021, India produced an emphatic performance to beat South Africa by 113 runs in the opening Test played in Centurion. KL Rahul was adjudged Player of the Match for his stunning century in the first innings.
Despite claiming a 1-0 lead, India failed to win the series against the Proteas. South Africa scripted a memorable comeback and won the next two games to win the series. Riding on Rahul’s solid batting and Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah’s sensational bowling, India managed to breach one of South Africa’s best venues in the Test series opener.
As fans celebrate a monumental triumph on this day, we take a look back at India’s clinical performance.
KL Rahul led from the front in the first innings and produced a brilliant knock of 123. Rahul’s opening partner Mayank Agarwal also appeared to be in fine touch and scored 60 runs off 123 balls.
Ajinkya Rahane missed out on his half-century by two runs as the visitors managed to post 327 in the first innings. Lungi Ngidi was South Africa’s best performer with the ball in the first innings having earned six scalps.
South Africa, in response, were bowled out for 197. Temba Bavuma’s crucial 52-run knock helped the hosts reach a respectable total in the first innings. Mohammed Shami bagged five wickets in the first innings to secure an upper hand for India.
South Africa’s pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen picked up four wickets each to bowl out India for 174 in the second innings. South Africa came out to bat in the second innings chasing a target of 305. They had a terrible start, with Aiden Markram dismissed for one run in the second over.
South Africa kicked off the final day’s play needing 211 runs to win with six wickets in hand. The then South Africa skipper Dean Elgar showcased a valiant performance with the bat and scored 77 runs in the second innings.
But it eventually proved to be futile as South Africa fell short by 113 runs. In the second innings, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami claimed three wickets each to clinch a resounding win for India.
