India now are in complete control of the second Test against South Africa, as the seamers delivered on Day 2 too. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah followed up Mohammed Siraj's six-wicket haul with a fifer in just 11 overs
It's Jasprit Bumrah's turn. After Mohammed Siraj claimed a six-wicket haul on Day 1 of the second South Africa vs India Test at Newlands, Cape Town, Bumrah helped himself to a fifer, helping the visitors take complete control of the tour finale. (RSA Vs IND Scorecard | Match Blog)
South Africa resumed the second day's proceedings on the overnight score of 62/3 with Aiden Markram and David Bedingham on 36 and seven runs, respectively, still trailing India by 36 runs. The Newlands top looked relatively safer for the batters to play their shots on Day 2, and Markram became the first one to reach a fifty in three innings of the match.
But around him, wickets continue to fall. Not quite at the rate of Day 1 which witnessed as many as 23 batters fall victim to red Kookaburra, but still at an alarming rate. And this time, inflicting the damage on the Proteas was Bumrah.
Bumrah, India's pace spearhead, managed to claim only a couple of wickets in the South African first innings with Siraj on fire. But on Thursday, Bumrah was in a class of his own. The 30-year-old from Ahmedabad raced to his ninth five-wicket haul in Test cricket in a relatively quick time, in 11 overs, when he had Keshav Maharaj caught behind.
In 32 Tests, including this match, Bumrah has taken 139 wickets best figures of 6/27 in innings. His best match figures are 9/86.
Bumrah now has at least one five-wicket haul in five countries -- three in South Africa, two each in England and the West Indies, and one each in Australia and India.
At the time of filing the report, South Africa were tottering at 158/7 in 30 overs with Markram shepherding the Proteas tail rather well. The opener, batting on 102 off 99 balls, was in the middle with Kagiso Rabada (2). Their lead was 60 runs.