In a scandalous turn of events in Johannesburg on Sunday, South Africa’s batting lineup suffered a catastrophic collapse against an inexperienced Indian bowling attack, barely crossing the three-figure mark in the first of three ODIs.
Faced with a pace attack that collectively held a mere seven ODI wickets before the match, the Proteas succumbed, with Arshdeep Singh claiming five scalps and Avesh Khan grabbing four, sealing the fate of the match within the initial hour of play.
As the stadium gradually filled up, little remained to witness except the remnants of a feeble South African effort. Nevertheless, the crowd ensured their entertainment with some quirky antics in the stands.
With the scoreboard displaying a dismal 101/8, Kuldeep Yadav’s magical spin managed to bewilder debutant tailender Nandre Burger’s timid defense in the 25th over. However, the leg break narrowly missed the edge of the bat on its way to the wicket-keeper.
The cameras swiftly shifted to a spectator in the stands who, seemingly leading the entertainment, rose from his seat to mimic a front-foot defense, demonstrating how to thwart the bowling threats.
— Virat Sharma (@ViratSharm39743) December 17, 2023
Despite the crowd’s spirited attempt at instruction, Burger’s fate remained unchanged as the veteran eventually disturbed his stumps a few overs later. The crowd rallied behind the moment with cheers and laughter, echoed by commentators and Twitter users alike.