The Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team secured a resounding seven-wicket victory over hosts South Africa in what is now deemed the shortest Test match in the 147-year-old history of Test cricket. The dramatic match concluded on the second session of Day 3, with only 107 overs played. This victory enabled India to level the series 1-1, following South Africa's triumph in the series opener in Centurion by an innings and 32 runs. Notably, this marks only the second instance in nine attempts that India has left South Africa without losing a Test series, with the previous occurrence under MS Dhoni's captaincy in 2010–11.
The triumph in Cape Town signifies a significant achievement, being only the fifth time in history that India has clinched a Test match on South African soil. Previous victories occurred in Jo'burg in 2006 and 2018, Durban in 2010, and Centurion in 2018. Rohit Sharma joins the esteemed company of Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli as the fourth Indian captain to secure a Test match win on South African soil.
The unfolding of the match saw South African skipper Dean Elgar opting to bat first after winning the toss, only to witness his team being bundled out for a mere 55 runs. Mohammed Siraj played a pivotal role, claiming an impressive 6/15. Despite a dramatic collapse where India lost six wickets in 11 balls, they maintained a 98-run advantage, with notable contributions from Virat Kohli (46), Rohit Sharma (39), and Shubman Gill (36).
In response, Jasprit Bumrah's exceptional six-wicket haul restricted South Africa to 176, paving the way for India to chase down the target with eight wickets to spare. Employing an aggressive approach, India emerged victorious by eight wickets, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remaining unbeaten on the crease. The chase did witness the dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.
