CAPE TOWN: The second Test between South Africa and India saw the shortest red ball cricket played between two teams in terms of a number of balls bowled on Thursday. The second Test saw India walking away victorious with a seven-wicket victory within two days. A total of 642 deliveries were bowled in both innings.
Before this red ball affair, the Australia and South Africa Test in 1932 in Melbourne was the shortest Test in terms of balls bowled. A total of 656 deliveries were bowled which saw the hosts emerge victorious by an innings and 72 runs.
West Indies clash against England in 1935 in Bridgetown was completed in 672 balls which saw the Caribbean side emerging triumphant by an innings and 161 runs.
The fourth shortest Test match was played between England and Australia in Manchester in 1888 which was completed in 788 bowled deliveries. Finally, the fifth shortest Test match was played between two of the oldest cricket rivals England and Australia at Lord’s in 1888.
Coming to the Test match between India and South Africa, saw the visitors levelling the series on a spiteful surface surrounded by the idyllic Table mountains, where the ball did all kinds of tricks, India made short work of the hosts with the ball on the second day, despite a heroic ton by opener Aiden Markram, and chased down a paltry target under 11 overs.
The two-day affair brought the curtains down on the international career of Protea opener Dean Elgar. With regular skipper Temba Bavuma out injured, Elgar took over the reins in the second Test as stand-in skipper. However, the hosts ended up on the losing side after two days of intriguing and, to a large extent, bizarre cricket.
India’s leading pace pair of Jasprit Bumrah (6-61) and Mohammed Siraj (6-15) were the architects of India’s redeeming, series-levelling win. (ANI)