Cape Town, a venue famous rather infamous for not being good to batters, especially in Test cricket showcased the same as both India and South Africa struggled on Day 1 of the series decider at Newlands. Not just the home team, which won the toss and chose to bat first, but even the Indians struggled even though the score in front of them was just 55. Apart from Virat Kohlino other Indian batter offered any resistance as they were too skittled out for 153 before South Africa batted again and lost three wickets and are still 36 runs behind.
The unluckiest of them all was Tristan Stubbs, who on his Test debut, encountered such a difficult pitch. An otherwise destructive batter in the middle order, Stubbs had to adjust his technique and playing style but the uneven surface at the Newlands didn’t give him time to settle and he ended up getting out for single-digit scores in both innings. Stubbs returned scores of 3 and 1 on his debut and would like to forget that.
Stubbs by getting out twice on the same day on his Test debut, became only the second batter in history of the longest format. In 1896, Harry Butt of England achieved this unwanted feat against South Africa in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) after he came out to bat in the second innings as a night watchman and got out even then. It was his first day as a Test cricketer, similar to Stubbs.
Despite their own collapse, India are still ahead in the game with 36 runs in hand and having taken three South African wickets in the second innings. The game is likely to end on the second day and even if the hosts manage to add 120-140 runs, the visitors will fancy chasing down a target of 75-100.
