Team India may not be in the best of form for the last couple of years in the SENA countries in Test matches, but the two-time World Test Championship (WTC) finalists are maintaining the trend of breaching fortresses, whether it was Brisbane three years ago or now in Cape Town. In their 7th appearance, the Indian cricket team finally achieved its first win at the Newlands as Rohit Sharma and Co. ended up on the right side of the result after a chaotic game that ended in just two days.
The shortest Test match in history saw South Africa getting bowled out for 55, India losing six wickets for nothing, Aiden Markram smashing a 99-ball century on a challenging pitch and India getting to the target of 79 runs without much issue. It was the fastest win in a Test match as the game ended in just 642 balls, breaking the 92-year-old record for the shortest completed game in the longest format.
The win on Thursday, January 4 helped India move to the top of the WTC points table with a points percentage (PCT) of 54.16 with 26 points in four matches played in the current cycle so far. South Africa, who were at the top before the start of the second Test, came down to joint second place alongside New Zealand, Australia and Bangladesh with a PCT of 50. However, this could change after the result of the third Australia-Pakistan Test given that a win for either of the sides will take them to the top of the table.
While South Africa next play a two-match Test series in February, India play five Tests against England at home starting January 25. Australia will be playing the West Indies and then travelling to New Zealand in what will be an elaborate Test season across the world before the focus shifts to the T20 format.