Kolkata, Nov 14 (NationPress) India wrapped up the first day of the inaugural Test match against South Africa with a score of 37/1 after 20 overs, trailing by 122 runs. This came after the impressive performance of Jasprit Bumrah, who took five wickets for just 27 runs, which led to the visitors being bowled out for 159 in their first innings at the Eden Gardens on Friday.

Bad light caused an early halt to play during the last session, resulting in the loss of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for a mere few runs. However, KL Rahul (who remains not out at 13) and the newly promoted number three Washington Sundar (currently on six not out) managed to stabilize the innings and prevent any further losses before the day's play concluded.

The duo batted with caution, contributing 19 runs in an unbroken partnership for the second wicket on a pitch that displayed inconsistent bounce throughout the day.

Earlier, Bumrah's remarkable bowling performance dismantled South Africa’s batting lineup, who had initially reached 57 without loss. The visitors lost their last ten wickets for a mere 102 runs, leaving India in a dominant position as Day 1 came to a close.

The crowd of approximately 35,000 fans erupted with excitement for Bumrah during his explosive two-over spell post-tea. Their enthusiasm was well-placed as Bumrah achieved his five-wicket milestone, with South Africa recording their second-lowest first-innings total against India, having lost the toss.

The post-tea session saw Bumrah strike first, sending Simon Harmer back to the pavilion by hitting the off-stump. Just three deliveries later, he bowled an extraordinary inswinging yorker that trapped Keshav Maharaj lbw for a duck, while Tristan Stubbs was left stranded on 15 as wickets crumbled around him.

On a pitch that proved challenging with its two-paced nature and uneven bounce, Jaiswal took 15 balls to get off the mark, finally scoring with a drive off Marco Jansen for a boundary. Unfortunately, his innings was cut short at 12 when he chopped the ball onto his stumps off Jansen. Meanwhile, Rahul adopted a cautious approach, scoring just one run off his first 14 balls before hitting a drive off Wiaan Mulder.

Sundar, stepping into the number three spot, faced a testing initial phase but gradually grew more confident as he settled into the innings. Despite tight bowling from Jansen, Mulder, and Corbin Bosch with the new ball, as well as turn from spinners Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer, Rahul and Washington exhibited great discipline.

Ultimately, bad light forced an early conclusion to the day's play at 4:35 PM, with Bumrah standing out as the star performer, marking his 16th five-wicket haul and providing India a stronghold at the end of Day 1.

Brief scores:

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