Jasprit Bumrah unleashed an extraordinary delivery that uprooted the stumps of South African opener Ryan Rickelton (23), ending a 57-run partnership between the left-hander and Aiden Markram.
The ball — a perfect seam-up gem — sliced through Rickelton’s defence and shattered the partnership.
During the second session, Mohammed Siraj joined the demolition job, breaching Marco Jansen’s guard and sending the tall all-rounder back for a three-ball duck.
Reflecting on the two breathtaking dismissals, legendary South African pacer Dale Steyn remarked that nothing compares to the thrill of watching the stumps explode.
“How can you even explain it?” Steyn said in a BCCI video. “You charge in, aim for a precise spot on the wicket, imagine the outcome in your head, and release the ball.
It pitches exactly where you intend, glides past the bat, beats the pad, and smashes the stumps. That is the ultimate dream for every fast bowler.”
Steyn added that very few experiences in life compare to that moment. “It’s a sensation you wish you could capture and relive endlessly.
That is why bowlers keep coming back for more. There is a kind of artistry in fast bowling — the run-up, the release, the impact — and then the ball sneaks past everything and destroys the stumps. It’s simply beautiful.”
‘A Shattering Moment’
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri echoed the sentiment, calling it a “shattering moment” and insisting that nothing in cricket matches the sight of the stumps cartwheeled.
“It’s like demolishing a fortress,” Shastri explained. “And when you bring that fortress down, it breaks apart like glass.
There is no more majestic view in world cricket than watching a quick bowler uproot the stumps and send them flying.”
In the opening Test between India and South Africa, the Proteas elected to bat after winning the toss but were restricted to just 159, with Bumrah running riot by removing Rickelton, Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Simon Harmer, and Keshav Maharaj.
South Africa, however, struck back on Day 2, bowling India out for 189 and keeping the visitors’ advantage to only 30 runs.
India’s skipper Shubman Gill retired hurt with a neck strain and did not return to bat in the first innings.
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