South Africa record their lowest Test 1st innings total in India

Hosts India started the Kolkata Test strongly, as they bundled out South Africa for only 159 runs, as the Proteas recorded their lowest first innings total in India. 

After South Africa chose to bat first, they had a good opening partnership of 57 runs, but once that partnership was broken, the visitors found themselves very hard position. South Africa were bundled out for only 159 runs, while the opener Aiden Markram (31) was their only batter to reach the 30-run mark. Although there were three more Proteas batters to score 20s, all of them failed to capitalise on their starts.

While the Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah recorded a fifer (5/27), Kuldeep Yadav (2/36) and Mohammed Siraj (2/47) bagged two wickets each, and Axar Patel (1/21) had one wicket.

The 159 all out became the new lowest total for South Africa in the first innings of a Test match in India and Asia. Meanwhile, the latest innings was also their second-lowest completed total in the first innings of a Test match against India. 

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South Africa's lowest completed Test totals in the 1st innings in Asia

Total	Opposition	Venue	Year
159	India	Kolkata	2025
169	Sri Lanka	Colombo (SSC)	2006
214	India	Bengaluru	2015
220	Pakistan	Karachi	2021
239	Pakistan	Faiasalabad	1997

South Africa's lowest completed totals in the 1st innings vs India in Test cricket

Total	Venue	Year
55	Cape Town	2024
159	Kolkata	2025
214	Bengaluru	2015
235	Durban	1996
254	Durban	1992

On the other hand, South Africa's 159 all out also became the fourth lowest completed total in the first innings of a Test match in India since 2020.

Lowest 1st innings Test total in India since 2020

Team	Total	Opposition	Venue	Year
India	46	New Zealand	Bengaluru	2024
India	109	Australia	Indore	2023
England	112	India	Ahmedabad	2021
South Africa	159	India	Kolkata	2025
West Indies	162	India	Ahmedabad	2025