Six wickets for 0 runs in 11 balls: India's nightmare unfolds with unreal batting collapse vs South Africa in 2nd Test

In a staggering collapse for Team India during the first innings of the second Test in Cape Town, the visitors lost six wickets within the astonishingly brief span of just 11 balls without adding a single run to their total. The downfall began when Lungi Ngidi dismissed KL Rahul for 9 in the 34th over, with India at 153/4. Ngidi continued his lethal spell by taking two more wickets in the remaining five balls of the over, dismissing Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah, both without scoring any runs.

Kagiso Rabada added to India's misery by claiming two more wickets in the following over. He swiftly removed the formidable Virat Kohli for 46 on the very first ball and then orchestrated the unfortunate run-out dismissal of Mohammed Siraj. Rabada, then, sealed India's innings by dismissing Prasidh Krishna, inducing an outside edge that Aiden Markram safely caught at slip.

The collapse that befell Team India felt surreal, unfolding in a manner that defied expectations. Initially, the duo of Kohli and Rahul had shown resilience at the start of the final session, especially with Virat Kohli. The India batting star, displaying his trademark determination, had reached 46 with an array of boundaries. KL Rahul, despite a slow start, had looked solid during his time at the crease. However, the pitch conditions, marked by uneven bounce, posed significant challenges for the Indian team.

However, even as the conditions were tough, the nature of the collapse was almost unthinkable given the batting prowess of the Indian lineup. Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja fell victim to bouncing deliveries, with Marco Jansen taking a spectacular diving catch at slips to dismiss the left-handed all-rounder. Jasprit Bumrah suffered a similar fate, giving his wicket away to a bouncing delivery as well.

Kohli, after a valiant effort, gave away an outside edge that was caught brilliantly by Aiden Markram at second slip. Following Kohli's departure, the subsequent dismissals unfolded rapidly. The collapse concluded in the same over, culminating in a shocking sight as six Indian batters—Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna—were all dismissed for a duck, while Mukesh Kumar remained unbeaten on 0.

The collapse came after bizarre earlier events of the day, with hosts being bowled out for merely 55 in the first innings. Mohammed Siraj played a pivotal role, achieving a six-wicket haul in an extraordinary bowling performance, while Bumrah and Mukesh Kumar contributed with two wickets each. The Indian seamers found the right line and length from the start as they ran through the home team's batting line-up in 23.2 overs, enforcing South Africa's lowest Test total since 1932 after they had elected to bat. It was also the Proteas' lowest score in Tests against India.