Siraj Leads Indian Pace Blitz on Dizzying Pitch, India Holds Edge on Day 1 in Cape Town

Questions about the quality of the pitch are usually raised if 23 wickets fall on the first day of a test. It should come as no surprise if the International Cricket Council assigns the Cape Town Newlands surface a below-average rating.

Nevertheless, nothing can be taken away from the Mohammed Siraj-led Indian pace attack (6/15), which used the Newlands ground to its fullest potential to give Team India the advantage at the conclusion of the first day of the second and final Test match against South Africa. They were so successful that Ravindra Jadeja, who was healthy and ready to take Ravichandran Ashwin's position, didn't even need to bowl.

True, members of the current South African batting lineup lack Test experience and have significant technical challenges, and some of the deliveries have undoubtedly come up uncomfortably high on this rather green Newlands surface.

That was a major contributing factor to India's embarrassing collapse of losing their final six wickets for zero and their inability to even establish a lead of 100 runs, despite dismissing South Africa for 55 in the first innings. In the final session on Wednesday, Lungi Ngidi had taken that awkward bounce for his three-wicket maiden.

Siraj discovered movement and swing as well; all of these factors combined to give him his finest Test cricket statistics to date.

One such ball was the one he used to dismiss South Africa's opener Aiden Markram in the first innings; it was shaped away at the last second to weaken the batsman's edge. When confronted with the steep bounce, David Bedingham, Siraj's fourth victim in the Test, was astonished. The 29-year-old pacer then claimed his fifth wicket with another that cut away to cause an edge off Marco Jansen's bat.

Siraj, the most reliable pacer for India in recent months, provided all the elements needed for a fast bowler to dismantle the opposing batting lineup.

Having bowled five overs and conceded eleven runs, Siraj is failed to make an impact in South Africa's second innings. It would have been ideal for him to return to bowl late in Day II or even later, but his batting teammates made it impossible.

However, Mukesh Kumar, Siraj's other pacer, deserves some recognition as well. Because of his double strike late in the last session, the Proteas were still down by 36 at stumps in their second innings, at 62/3.

After striking twice in the first innings, the Bengal fast (playing his second Test match in lieu of Shardul Thakur) removed South Africa's acting captain Dean Elgar, who ended his last Test with scores of 4 and 12, to provide India with a much-needed breakthrough. With his round-the-wicket bowling, Mukesh had cast doubt on Elgar's mind. Using the same tactic, he removed Tony de Zorzi with a shaky seam.

India's chances of tying the series depend heavily on Siraj, Mukesh, and of course captain Jasprit Bumrah, but they also need Prasidh Krishna to help.