India’s big moment with the new ball came on the first day of the Guwahati Test when Rishabh Pant took a stunning catch off Mohammed Siraj to dismiss Tony de Zorzi. India made a strong comeback with the second new ball, and Siraj’s first over with the new ball was a wicket-taking one. South Africa batted well in the first session, but the Indian bowlers later revived the match.

A stunning catch by Rishabh Pant

A shining moment came late in the evening on the first day of the Guwahati Test against South Africa, being played on Saturday, when Rishabh Pant took a flying catch to his left off Mohammed Siraj, leaving the fans in the stands delighted. South African batsman Tony de Zorzi was looking in good form, but Pant’s cat-like agility put a complete stop to his innings.

The day’s play was a fascinating one, with plenty of ups and downs. Unlike Eden Gardens, the pitch in Guwahati was a good one for batting, and the African batsmen took full advantage of it initially. They didn’t give India much of a chance in the first session, but as the ball got older, the Indian bowlers began to make a comeback.

South Africa made changes to the batting order this time, promoting Tristan Stubbs up the order, while Tony de Zorzi and Wiaan Mulder came in the middle order. India took the second new ball after 80 overs and found success shortly thereafter.

Jasprit Bumrah started with a quiet over, but Siraj’s first over with the new ball became the ‘Moment of the Day’ of the match. The ball swung slightly outside off, and de Zorzi tried to defend it without correcting his footwork. As a result, the ball took the outside edge of his bat. Then Rishabh Pant dived to his left and took a brilliant catch with both hands. As soon as the catch was completed, Mohammed Siraj‘s enthusiastic and aggressive celebration enlivened the atmosphere. Meanwhile, Tony de Zorzi had to return to the pavilion after playing 59 balls for 28 runs.