Legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar expressed disbelief as 23 wickets fell on the opening day of the second Test between South Africa and India at Newlands in Cape Town. Tendulkar, a cricket icon, shared his surprise, revealing that he had boarded a flight when the Proteas were bowled out for 55 in their first innings, only to find them batting again upon reaching home.
"Cricketer in '24 begins with 23 wickets falling in a single day. Unreal! Boarded a flight when South Africa was all out, and now that I'm home, the TV shows South Africa has lost 3 wickets. What did I miss?" Tendulkar posted on social media.
During Tendulkar's travel time, India faced their own batting collapse, getting bowled out for 153 in 34.5 overs. Despite having a lead of 98 runs at one point, they lost six wickets in 17 overs without adding any runs. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli contributed 39, 36, and 46 runs respectively, but the lower order struggled against the formidable South African pace trio of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Nandre Burger.
As the day concluded, South Africa found themselves trailing by 36 runs with seven wickets in hand in their second innings. Aiden Markram, unbeaten on 36 off 51 balls, holds the key for the hosts. Mukesh Kumar, who replaced Shardul Thakur in the Indian XI, impressed with crucial wickets, including those of opposition skipper Dean Elgar and Tony de Zorzi.
