Indian legend Ravi Shastri had an all-time zinger as the cricket world reaction in shock after 23 wickets tumbled on the first day of the second Test between India and South Africa.
The Proteas were skittled for a measly 55 runs in the first innings and it looked like India would have the perfect opportunity to pile on the misery with more runs.
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23 wickets fall in just one day! | 01:50
But after slipping to 4/153, India suffered a ghastly collapse of their own as six wickets fell for no runs in the space of just 11 balls.
“My goodness,” Shastri said during commentary for Willow.
“Yes, 153 for four, 153 all out.
“If someone went around the corner for a dump and has come back, India have been bowled out for 153.”
South Africa subsequently went in to bat for the second time in one day and lost three wickets before stumps, including that of retiring Test star and former captain Dean Elgar.
The absurd tumble of wickets even had another Indian legend baffled as to what had transpired.
“Cricket in ‘24 begins with 23 wickets falling in a single day,” Sachin Tendulkar wrote on X.
“Unreal! Boarded a flight when South Africa was all out, and now that I’m home, the TV shows South Africa has lost 3 wickets.
“What did I miss?”
Even South Africa’s official traffic account got in on the fun.
Fox Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle was another who had to check the scorecard twice to make sure it was correct, but felt the 23-wicket tumble might not have been the best advertisement for cricket.
“I’d gone out somewhere, I came back around midnight yesterday,” Bhogle said.
“I looked at the score and I said, ‘154 for four, South Africa 55 all out, this series is level 1-1.’
“I get up this morning and rubbing the mist off my eyes as I check the scorecard and I said, ‘No, someone’s made a mistake there.’ Six for zero in 11 balls!
“It’s never happened before and it just tells you, when you’ve been around for a while like Kerry’s (O’ Keeffe) been and I’ve been and you start to think, ‘I might’ve seen everything there is to see,’ cricket reminds you it’s the boss and will show you something you haven’t seen before.
“I’m not sure it’s very good for the game, but 23 wickets, you couldn’t ask for a more dramatic day.”
All 23 WICKETS from Day One, 2nd Test! | 04:54
The rest of the cricketing world also reacted with astonishment at the chaos that had taken place on the first day of the second Test.
Speaking after play, South African batting consultant Ashwell Prince said “there was something wrong” at Newlands.
Prince gave credit to Indian opening bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah but said conditions were greatly in favour of the bowlers.
MohammedSiraj took a career-best six for 15 in the first innings as South Africa were bowled out before lunch after winning the toss.
“I’ve never seen the pitch that quick on day one,” said Prince, who played 11 of his 66 Test matches, as well as most of his domestic career, at Newlands and is currently coach of Western Province, based at the ground.
“As a batsman you don’t mind pace in the wicket if the bounce is consistent but the bounce was a little bit inconsistent.
“You expect a bit of seam movement on day one but seam movement with inconsistent bounce is a different situation.
“Sometimes it happens that a great bowling line-up bowls out a team cheaply but if both batting line-ups can’t bat there’s something wrong.”
Prince said the conditions had taken South Africa by surprise, prompting them to bat in bright sunshine.
“There was a bit of grass on the pitch but the tendency at Newlands is for it to take spin later on so it made sense to bat. I don’t think anyone could have foreseen how the pitch would play.”
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