India vs South Africa 2023 Highlights: 3 moments that generated buzz among fans in 1st Test ft. KL Rahul
South Africa handed India an absolute drubbing inside three days in the first Test between the two sides at Centurion. With that, the visitors' dream of winning their first-ever Test series on South African soil remains unfulfilled.
Winning the toss, South Africa asked India to bat first and had the visitors in all sorts of trouble. KL Rahul's sensational 101 helped India post some kind of a fighting total with 245 on the board.
However, the bowlers couldn't back Rahul's efforts as South Africa took advantage of the inconsistent lines and lengths. Dean Elgar smashed an incredible 185 and the Proteas took a mammoth lead of 162 runs.
India were pegged so behind in the game that they just couldn't show any fight with the bat. Virat Kohli was the lone warrior at one end as the visitors lost by an innings and 32 runs. On that note, let's take a look at three moments from the game that caught the attention of fans on social media:
#3 KL Rahul's moment of redemption
KL Rahul, not long ago, was dropped from the Indian Test team and made a comeback against South Africa only as a wicketkeeping option. However, he proved to be their best batter from the first innings as he showed incredible application in testing conditions.
Having the perfect mix of caution and aggression, Rahul ensured India got a competitive first innings total. He batted really well with the tail and smashed a six off Gerald Coetzee to bring up his eighth Test hundred and second at Cenurion. The relief in his celebration showed just how hard he had worked to get back into the Test team.
#2 Virat Kohli changing bails like Stuart Broad for luck
The partnership between Tony de Zorzi and Dean Elgar was proving to be a frustrating one for the visitors and they needed the rub of the green to go their way. Just before an over from Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli walked towards the stumps and interchanged the bails.
This is something that went viral when England pacer Stuart Broad did it during the Ashes earlier this year and it brought his team luck in the form of wickets. Surprisingly, Kohli's trick also reaped the rewards as Bumrah picked up both de Zorzi and then Keegan Petersen in quick succession.
Fans were thrilled to see how the superstition worked and even Stuart Broad reacted to it in hilarious fashion.
#1 Dean Elgar crushing Indian dreams
It was the Johannesburg Test two years ago when Dean Elgar scored 96* to ensure South Africa won the game and denied India what could have been their first-ever series win on South African soil.
It was deja vu for the visitors as Elgar once again produced his best, this time scoring a mammoth 185 to put South Africa in poll position in the Test match. Many hailed him for the fluency of his strokes as he has generally been someone who dug deep and uncannily scored runs.
Elgar will be retiring from international cricket and it was some way of producing a sensational knock just when the Proteas needed it with skipper Temba Bavuma injured. The southpaw may also lead the Proteas in his final Test.= in Cape Town.