IND vs SA, 1st Test Day 3: Mohammed Shami Shines With Five-Wicket Haul as India Lead South Africa by 146 Runs

Premier India pacer Mohammed Shami put India ahead on Day 3 of the first Test match against South Africa at SuperSport Park, Centurion. Shami claimed a five-wicket haul on Tuesday to complete his 200 wickets in Test cricket. He brought his A-game on the table to bundle out South Africa for just 197 as India managed to take a 130-run first-innings lead. Apart from Temba Bavuma, none of the hosts’ batters caused any trouble from the Indian bowlers. Bavuma was the top scorer for South Africa with 52 runs off 103 balls.

However, India lost a crucial wicket of Mayank Agarwal ahead of the stumps as Marco Jansen claimed his second wicket in international cricket. India is 146-run ahead in the game with 16/1 at stumps on Day 3 as KL Rahul (5*) and Shardul Thakur (4*) are in the middle. Earlier, resuming their innings from an overnight score of 272/3, India failed to capitalize on the strong position and were bowled out for 327. Lungi Ngidi was the pick of the bowlers with six for 71, while Kagiso Rabada took three for 72.

Rabada started the collapse in the fourth over of the day when KL Rahul gloved an attempted hook to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock after adding only one run to the 122 he scored on the first day. Ajinkya Rahane, the other overnight batsman, played a loose backfoot drive against Ngidi and was caught behind for 48. Four more wickets fell in quick succession before Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj added 19 for the last wicket, prompting a change of bowlers which enabled new cap, Marco Jansen, to claim a first Test wicket when Bumrah was caught at third slip for 14.

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My Father Has Made me What I am Today for India-Shami

The Indian bowlers struck back and triggered an early collapse for South Africa with 4 for 32. Bavuma stitched a crucial 72-run partnership with Quinton de Kock for the fifth wicket to revive the hosts’ innings but Shardul Thakur who has the knack of getting a crucial wicket got the better of the wicketkeeper batter ahead of Tea to put South Africa on the mat. Shami the Indian pace attack on day 3 and dismantle the South Africa batting line-up with his fierce bowling. He claimed two crucial wickets in the second session to get the better of Keegan Petersen and Aiden Markram.

And then he ran riot with the ball in the third session by dismissing Temba Bavuma, Wiaan Mulder, and Kagiso Rabada. Mohammed Shami, on Tuesday, recalled how his father played a major role in his success in world cricket, after taking 200 Test wickets on day 3 of the opening Test match against South Africa in Centurion. Shami revealed that his father used to take him to the coaching camp on a cycle for 30 km and he still remembers those struggling days. He became the third-fastest Indian pacer to take 200 wickets in Test cricket in 56 Tests. Only Kapil Dev (50) and Javagal Srinath (54) breached the 200-wicket mark faster than Shami in Test cricket for India.

Shami claimed a five-wicket haul on day 3 to put India on top as the visitors bundled out the Proteas on 197 and take a crucial 130-run first-innings lead. The 31-year-old said that he owes his success to his father as he comes from a place where they aren’t many facilities available. “My father has made me what I am today. I come from a village (Sahaspur, UP’s Amroha) where there aren’t many facilities and even today there aren’t all facilities available,” Shami said in the press conference after day 3’s play.

“Even then, my father would cycle me 30 km to take me to coaching camp, and that struggle I still remember. In those days and those situations, they invested in me and I am forever grateful,” he added. During COVID-19 induced lockdown, Shami and his family donated rations to the needy and also arranged for buses to send laborers to their respective homes. “My family has ingrained certain values in me and it includes standing by people in their hour of need, helping the distressed. “My parents were associated with politics and served the people locally and it’s in my blood. Lockdown required me to help people and I did that.