IND vs SA, 1st Test: India 37/1 on day 1 after Bumrah's five-for leaves Proteas bowled out of 159

On day 1 of the ongoing first Test match between India and South Africa being played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, hosts were 37/1 at stumps after bowling out South Africa for 159 on Friday (November 14). For India, Washington Sundar (6*) and KL Rahul (13*) were at the crease. Earlier in the day, India's quick Jasprit Bumrah (5/27) took a five-wicket haul which gave India an upper hand on day 1.

Bad light curtailed play early in the final session, with India losing opener Yashasvi Jaiswal cheaply. However, KL Rahul and Washington Sundar saw the team through without further loss, adding 19 runs in an unbeaten second-wicket stand. The pair played cautiously on a pitch that continued to offer variable bounce. Earlier, Bumrah's lethal spell of 5/27 had dismantled South Africa's batting after they had made a promising start, reaching 57/0. The visitors lost all ten wickets for just 102 runs, handing India the upper hand at the close of play.

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Bumrah's fiery burst after tea was a highlight, with the Eden Gardens crowd cheering him on. He struck immediately, removing Simon Harmer with a ball that jagged back to shatter his off-stump. A few deliveries later, Bumrah bowled an inswinging yorker to bowl out Keshav Maharaj for a duck. By the time the session ended, Tristan Stubbs was the only batter left unbeaten on 15, as South Africa's collapse continued. On a pitch offering inconsistent bounce, Jaiswal had a tough time getting going, taking 15 balls to score his first runs—a boundary off Marco Jansen. He added two more fours before being dismissed for 12, nicking a delivery from Jansen onto his stumps. Rahul, meanwhile, played a patient knock, scoring just one run from his first 14 balls before striking a crisp drive off Wiaan Mulder.

Sundar, promoted to number three, endured a challenging period early but grew more confident as the day progressed. The South African bowlers—Jansen, Mulder, and Bosch—kept things tight, while spinners Maharaj and Harmer found some turn. But Rahul and Sundar weathered the storm, sticking to solid, disciplined batting. Play was finally halted at 4:35 pm due to bad light, with Bumrah's superb five-wicket haul being the standout performance of the day, putting India in a strong position at the end of the first day.

Brief scores:

South Africa: 159 all out in 55 overs (Aiden Markram 31, Ryan Rickelton 23; Jasprit Bumrah 5/27, Kuldeep Yadav 2/36) lead India 37/1 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 13 not out, Yashasvi Jaiswal 12; Marco Jansen 1/11) by 122 runs.