Image Credit- Getty
On his international debut in Guyana, Shamar Joseph had the perfect comeback, going five for eighteen, but on a hot Providence Stadium pitch, Wiaan Mulder’s career-best four for eighteen all but stole the show. Despite the short sample size of only three matches, 17 wickets fell in total, the most on a Test cricket day at this venue. The decisivor of the series moved quickly because of the swing through the air, seam movement, and good carry.
The Guyana Test was plagued by weather delays, but in sharp contrast to the languid pace of the Trinidad Test, the action moved at breakneck speed under clear blue sky. It was a day for the bowlers, especially the fast bowlers, who bowled 68 of 82.2 overs and claimed 15 wickets, despite the desire of both captains to bat first. The visitors’ lead came from a record 10-wicket partnership of 63 between Dane Piedt and Nandre Burger for South Africa against the West Indies. Only one batsman, Jason Holder, scored more than 30 in the top six of either side.
Aiden Markram, who had earlier opened the scoring with a cover drive from Holder, felt movement through the air and off the seam when he edged the third ball of the Test past third slip. On the opposite side, Tony de Zorzi, a left-hander, was bowled in the fourth over as Jayden Seales kept bringing the ball back into his bat. De Zorzi left a considerable bat-pad gap.
When Joseph entered the game in the eighth over, he got off to a risky start. He got a good inswing, and Markram misjudged the length and left the ball, only for the off stump to be knocked down. It was the first wicket that Joseph had on his home pitch. Two balls later, he had the South African skipper Temba Bavuma stranded in the crease for a second-ball duck when a little shorter delivery struck the batsman low in front of the stumps. On 20 for 3, South Africa participated in the first drink break.
Tristan Stubbs found it much more difficult to get off the mark than David Bedingham, who struck the first boundary off Joseph when he sliced him behind point for four. Stubbs kept the slips in play and the West Indies in the chase as his innings developed. Furthermore, he wasn’t the only one who offered the West Indies a peek of the lower class.
Holder pulled the now 26-year-old Stubbs forward, and he edged near Warrican at slip, but he tumbled over attempting to hang on. Holder’s frustration over the lost chance did not last long. Ten minutes before lunch, Stubbs reached for an outswinger in his next over, only to be superbly taken by a leaping Kavem Hodge at third slip.
With Wiaan Mulder compelled to play and find his outside edge thanks to a peach from Seales, West Indies broke the last recognised partnership in the following over. After Kyle Verreyne edged Sealed to gully, he could have been out off the next ball, but he was dropped. After Joseph bowled Keshav Maharaj after he was outpaced by two balls, Seales cleaned up Rabada, and after Verreynne played off Joseph, the West Indies had many reasons to celebrate.
As the second session went on and the West Indies looked for the last wicket, Piedt and Burger helped South Africa surpass 141, their lowest Test score in the West Indies.
Encouraged by the extra runs, South Africa went into the game intent on taking wickets and thought they had one off the third delivery. When Bavuma reviewed, he saw that the ball had missed the stumps after Rabada had beaten Braithwaite’s inside edge and hit him above the knee roll. However, the protracted wait for a breakthrough was short lived. In his third Test match, left-armer Burger first provided Mikyle Louis with a sequence of away swingers before hitting one on a good length to beat the outside edge and dismiss the West Indian opener.
Burger was sent back in at Rabada’s end because South Africa’s XI only had three seamers. Burger struggled to get his line correct as he directed the ball down leg. Carty blasted the next ball straight to Maharaj at a shortish midwicket after Bavuma had tucked in a leg slip, leaving the West Indies 47 for 5.
With three fours in four balls and a 41-run stand with Motie, Holder took the battle to South Africa and had a chance to finish the day on a high note. On the day when Motie failed to sweep and was declared leg before wicket, Maharaj had the last say, leaving the West Indies down by 63 runs with just three first-inning wickets remaining. There will be more drama on day two.