Guwahati, Nov 22: Ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah brought a long-awaited breakthrough for India by dismissing Aiden Markram on the stroke of tea, as South Africa reached 82/1 in 26.5 overs against India at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Bumrah had created an opportunity earlier in the first session, but KL Rahul failed to hold on to a sharp chance at slip, giving Markram a life on four. But the right-handed opener eventually fell in the final over before the 20-minute tea break by chopping on to his stumps off Bumrah.

Until that dismissal, Markram and Ryan Rickelton looked largely assured. It would be interesting to see if India, who toiled hard for the majority of the first session, will be able to capitalise on the breakthrough from Bumrah and gain an edge over the Proteas in the second session.

In the morning, after electing to bat first on a fresh red soil pitch, Markram and Rickelton ensured South Africa had a steady start against new ball bowlers Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. The duo got decent carry and swing, though two sets of byes went against wicketkeeper and skipper Rishabh Pant’s name.

Though the atmosphere was subdued at India’s newest Test venue due to sparse attendance, which was in complete contrast to the well‑attended Eden Gardens Test last week, Bumrah and Siraj continued to keep the openers in check. Markram finally opened his account with a solid punch off Bumrah for four, before surviving a dropped catch by Rahul at slip.

With Siraj bowling touch too full and wide, Markram and Rickelton found a few boundaries off him, as South Africa reached 34/0 at the first drinks break. Nitish Kumar Reddy struggled for consistency – drifting onto the pads too often and conceding boundaries to Markram, while Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar found some turn and bounce, though Rickelton got streaky boundaries off them.

Captain Pant’s decision to bring Bumrah late in the session to deliver the breakthrough paid off when he dismissed Markram and Rahul, who had earlier spilled a chance of him, had a smile full of relief on his face as India finally had a wicket before tea.

Brief Scores: South Africa 82/1 in 26.5 overs (Aiden Markram 38, Ryan Rickelton 35 not out; Jasprit Bumrah 1-7) against India.

Mumbai, Nov 21: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Friday that it is inviting applications for the position of Head – Cricket Education at its Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

The position was held till recently by former India cricketer Sujith Somasunder, who is now contesting for Vice President’s post in the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) elections as a member of the Venkatesh Prasad-led panel.

“This full-time position is central to BCCI’s long-term vision of developing a world-class cricket education system that supports coaches, athletes, state academies and high-performance programs across the country. The Head – Cricket Education will oversee the design, delivery and continuous advancement of cricket and sports-science education at the COE,” BCCI said in a release.

The role is open to candidates up to the age of 58 and the term of work to be determined as per the employment offer. Applications must be submitted by 5 pm IST on December 8. Following screening and shortlisting, selected candidates may be invited for personal interviews as part of the evaluation process.

The ideal candidate’s qualifications and experience should be to have a proven track record in developing and delivering cricket‑education programmes. Applicants must be an active Level‑3 coach (or higher) with impeccable credentials, international playing or coaching experience preferred.

They should also have a strong background in coach training, player‑progress reporting and high‑performance systems is required, along with a minimum of five years’ experience working with elite athletes; prior experience as a trainer with cricket players is essential.

The ideal candidate should demonstrate excellent communication skills and the ability to work with diverse groups across domestic and high‑performance ecosystems, coupled with high integrity, discipline, people‑assessment skills and leadership ability.

The selected applicant will be responsible for administering all aspects of coach education, accreditation and curriculum development at the CoE, including planning, implementing and reviewing all coaching courses, including Level A, B and C programmes, as well as conducting and coordinating nationwide refresher courses for coaches.

The candidate should also know about using modern performance-analysis tools such as athlete-management systems, video analytics, GPS and wearable technology to derive actionable game insights, as well as collaborate with the Head of Cricket, CoE, on online education initiatives and the development of advanced coaching modules.

The person will also be managing the re-accreditation process for coaches and ensuring world-class documentation of coaching content, as well as work with BCCI’s Umpires Panel and Head Curator on educational seminars, examinations and specialised training interventions.

Other responsibilities include supporting coach-intake processes for CoE, Zonal Cricket Academies and specialist camps and assessing suspect bowling actions referred to the CoE and presenting findings to relevant committees.

New Delhi, Nov 18: Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra spoke in depth about India’s transition struggles in the red-ball format and how the Shubman Gill-led side has been trying different permutations and combinations to get a settled long-term XI. He said that while India drawing the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar trophy in England earlier this year was encouraging, the team is still experiencing ‘labour pains before new growth emerges.’

Chopra discussed India’s current transition in Test cricket on JioStar, providing an in-depth analysis as he said, “Transition is always painful, though the England series temporarily hid this harsh reality due to unusual English pitch conditions. While drawing that series felt encouraging, we must acknowledge we’re still in the labour pains before new growth emerges.”

Adding further about the uncertainties in the team’s playing XI, he said, “The number three position remains unsettled – we’ve seen Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, and now Washington Sundar batting there. Dhruv Jurel shows promise but has played only five Tests. Role clarity remains a concern. Is Sundar primarily a batter or bowler when he only delivered one over? We faced similar uncertainty with Nitesh Kumar Reddy recently. Rather than pretending we’re a finished product, we must accept this transition continues and will involve challenging phases before achieving stability.”

India suffered a disappointing 30-run defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded first Test of the two-match series in Kolkata on Sunday, raising questions about the players’ preparation and mindset ahead of a home game. While the pitch and the pitch curator faced criticism after the match ended in the second session of Day 3, head coach Gautam Gambhir clarified that the team received exactly the kind of pitch they had requested.

Chopra further spoke on India’s pitch preparation strategy after their Test defeat, saying, “Our practice sessions should feel like real match conditions. Players like Pant and Jurel needed time on rank turners, and someone like Gill, coming from bouncy Australian pitches, needed that adjustment too.

“Pitch preparation isn’t an exact science, but we still need to ask whether extreme turning tracks are the best way for us to win. When a Test ends in two and a half days, it shows something isn’t balanced. With four spinners compared to their two, why bring the contest down to their level? We’ve seen this happen against New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa before. If this becomes our only home strategy, then every batsman will need very different and specific preparation just to cope.”

When the pitch was dubbed difficult to bat on, South African skipper Temba Bavuma put up a terrific knock with the bat and scored a remarkable half-century, which was the turning point in the game as his knock, coupled with the bowlers’ brilliance, helped the visitors go one up in the series.

On the pitch debate through statistical evidence, Chopra noted, “Exceptions define the norm, and Temba Bavuma’s fifty stands as the exception among 38 wickets that fell in this match. If batting were straightforward, multiple players would have scored heavily, not just one batter. While Bavuma’s performance deserves credit, the reality remains that only one person succeeded where others failed. Learning through victory feels rewarding, but learning through defeat creates bigger challenges for team development.”

The second and final Test will be played from November 22 in Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium.