IND vs SA : Jasprit Bumrah dismantles Aiden Markram’s stumps with a peach on Day 1 of the Guwahati Test

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The inaugural Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati produced an engrossing first day as South Africa reached a steady 142/2 in 49 overs after opting to bat in the series-deciding second Test against India. With Rishabh Pant leading India in the absence of injured skipper Shubman Gill, the hosts came in under pressure after their defeat in the Kolkata opener, but Jasprit Bumrah produced a trademark moment of magic to jolt the visitors late in the first session. The pitch, expected to offer true bounce early with turn later, encouraged patient batting and demanding, disciplined bowling in extended morning conditions due to Guwahati’s early sunset and the unusual schedule of taking tea before lunch.​

Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton began solidly, carefully negotiating the new ball and moving South Africa to 34/0 at the first drinks break in 12 overs, before raising fifty in 16.1 overs with eight runs in extras easing the pressure. Bumrah, operating with typical control, repeatedly pinned Markram on the crease with back-of-a-length deliveries, drawing defensive prods and playing on his patience through a testing spell that conceded almost nothing. The breakthrough finally arrived on the last ball before tea, at 26.5 overs, when Bumrah went fuller and straighter at around 140 kph, a ball angled around off that tempted the driving Markram into a mistake.​

Markram, set on 38 off 81 balls with five crisp fours, could not resist the inviting length, thrusting into a drive only to drag a thick inside edge that sent the middle and leg stumps cartwheeling, igniting the Guwahati crowd. The dismissal, recorded as Markram b Bumrah 38 (81), ended an 82-run opening stand and left the right-hander visibly furious with himself as he stormed off, knowing he had done the hard work against India’s spearhead.

Bumrah’s figures at that stage – 10 overs, 5 maidens, 12 runs, 1 wicket with an economy of 1.20 – underlined how relentlessly he had choked the scoring while setting up the dismissal, a classic case of pressure translating into a wicket. For India, the wicket was doubly significant, not only breaking South Africa’s foundation but also validating Pant’s strategy of backing his premier quick on a surface expected to slow and assist spin as the match wears on.

You just can’t keep him out of the game! 🔥#JaspritBumrah gives #TeamIndia their first wicket right at the stroke of tea!

#INDvSA 2nd Test LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/FonCjBDbFl

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 22, 2025

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If India hoped Markram’s wicket would trigger a slide, South Africa responded with composure despite a quick second jolt when Ryan Rickelton fell soon after tea for 35 off 82 balls, edging Kuldeep Yadav to Rishabh Pant to make it 82/2. At that stage, India sensed an opening as Pant turned to a spin-heavy attack featuring Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja in tandem, supported by Washington Sundar. However, captain Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs calmly absorbed the pressure, first stabilising and then slowly nudging the game back towards parity with a risk-free partnership that frustrated the hosts.​

By the time drinks were taken in the second session, South Africa had moved to 129/2 in 42 overs, with Stubbs on 19 and Bavuma on 24, their stand built on soft hands, precise leave judgment and decisive footwork against both pace and spin. The pair raised a 50-run third-wicket partnership off 94 balls, ensuring that India’s hard work with the ball did not translate into a collapse and positioning the Proteas for a potential platform beyond 300 if they bat deep into Day 2. At 49 overs, South Africa’s 142/2 – Stubbs unbeaten on 22 (61 balls, 1 four, 1 six) and Bavuma 32 not out off 71 with four boundaries – reflected a day where the visitors’ methodical approach and India’s discipline produced a gripping, low-scoring arm-wrestle rather than a runaway session.

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