On a dramatic opening day of the first Test between India and South Africa at Eden Gardens on November 14, 2025, pacer Mohammed Siraj's impassioned plea to captain Shubman Gill for "just one more over" proved to be a game-changer, sparking a collapse that reduced the Proteas to 159 all out after they chose to bat first. Siraj, who had endured a frustrating morning session conceding 43 runs without a wicket in his first nine overs, found his rhythm in the second session by targeting the stumps with disciplined lines, as advised by veteran teammate Jasprit Bumrah. The turning point came in his 10th over, a nip-back delivery trapping wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne lbw for 16 on the first ball, followed by a searing yorker that demolished Marco Jansen's stumps for a golden duck on the fourth. This double strike, which Siraj later credited to Gill's trust, shifted momentum decisively toward India, leaving South Africa reeling at 140 for 8.

Siraj's candid post-play revelation to broadcasters captured the raw intensity of the moment: "Bas ek over de de... Aur usi over mein do wicket mil gaye" (Please give me one more over... and I got a couple of wickets), delivered with a broad smile that belied the pressure he had faced earlier. Having struggled against Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton's opening stand of 57—South Africa's highest in recent Tests—Siraj drew inspiration from Bumrah's counsel: "Jassi bhai just told me that the wicket-taking option was if you bowl at the stumps, you've got LBW, bowled, and even catches coming to play when the line is accurate." Bumrah himself led the charge with a masterful five-wicket haul of 5 for 27 in 14 overs, including the early scalp of opener Ryan Rickelton with a 140 kmph inswinger and later dismissals of Tony de Zorzi and Wiaan Mulder, exploiting the pitch's unexpected seam movement under overcast skies.

Kuldeep Yadav complemented the seam attack with 2 for 36, his left-arm spin accounting for Temba Bavuma (3) via a leg slip—a tactical masterstroke from Gill—and Mulder with a reverse sweep lbw, while Axar Patel chipped in with 1 for 21. South Africa's innings, marred by a lack of substantial partnerships beyond Markram's gritty 31, folded under relentless pressure, with the lower order offering little resistance on a surface that surprised many by favouring pacers early, contrary to Eden Gardens' reputation for spin-friendly tracks. The Proteas' decision to bat first, influenced by a grassy pitch report, backfired as India's bowlers extracted reverse swing later, bundling them out in 47.3 overs. Siraj finished with 2 for 47 from 12 overs, his economy improving markedly post-lunch.

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In their reply, India navigated 7.3 overs under fading light—cut short by bad light rules—to reach 37 for 1, trailing by 122 runs at stumps. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for 18 to Keshav Maharaj's left-arm spin, edging to slip, but KL Rahul (13 not out) and nightwatchman Washington Sundar (6 not out) steadied the ship with a watchful 19-run stand for the second wicket. Gill, leading India in his second Test as captain after a mixed bag in the recent New Zealand series, praised the bowling unit's adaptability, noting the pitch's "keeping low with the older ball" and the importance of building pressure through accurate lines.

Siraj, reflecting on the day's ebb and flow, expressed optimism: "We are in a good position, having lost just one wicket... Markram and Rickelton put on a good stand, we did well to come back, and I think we're ahead of the match at the moment." The performance marked a strong riposte to pre-series critiques of India's pace attack sans Mohammed Shami, with Bumrah and Siraj's synergy evoking memories of their 2021-22 South Africa tour. As Day 2 dawns with a clearer weather forecast, India eyes a substantial lead on a wicket expected to turn more spinner-friendly, setting the tone for a series that tests Gill's nascent captaincy against Bavuma's resilient Proteas.

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