By Kavita Mistry 
India closed Day One of the first Test against South Africa at 37/1 in 20 overs and trail by 122 runs after Jasprit Bumrah’s sharp five-wicket haul had earlier skittled the visitors for 159 at the Eden Gardens here on Friday.
Before bad light brought an early end to proceedings in the final session, India lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal cheaply. But KL Rahul (13 not out) and newly established number three Washington Sundar (six not out) ensured there was no further damage before stumps arrived.
The pair batted cautiously, adding 19 runs in an unbroken stand for the second wicket on a surface that continued to show variable bounce. Earlier, on a challenging two-paced pitch, where India picked all four spin-bowling options, Bumrah stood out yet again with his incisive 5-27 in 14 overs, dismantling South Africa’s batting order after they had raced to 57/0.
The visitors lost all of their 10 wickets for just 102 runs, leaving India in control at the close of day one. Apart from Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each, while Axar Patel had a scalp to his name.
After South Africa elected to bat first, Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram negotiated the early overs with composure to bring up the fifty of the opening stand — the first such instance for the Proteas in India after 17 innings. Rickelton, fluent from the outset, punished a wayward Siraj for providing width by taking three boundaries off him.
Markram, who got off the mark after facing 22 balls, settled in after a watchful beginning by hitting fours through gorgeous back foot and front foot shots before leaving everyone dazed with his shimmy down the pitch to dispatch Axar for six over wide long-on.
Bumrah, who had produced a few balls that ranged from climbing sharply to staying a touch low, got India back in the game with his double strike – getting a length ball to beat Rickelton’s outside edge and rattle his off stump. He then produced a rising delivery from short of length that forced Markram to play at it, and the shoulder edge of the bat was caught by a diving Rishabh Pant.
Brief scores
South Africa 159 all out in 55 overs (Aiden Markram 31, Ryan Rickelton 23; Jasprit Bumrah 5-27, Kuldeep Yadav 2-36) lead India 37/1 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 13 not out, Yashasvi Jaiswal 12; Marco Jansen 1-11) by 122 runs