CAPE TOWN: For 84.1 overs, the teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world went at each other like bareknuckle prizefighters. At the end of it, South Africa — who had stumbled to 12 for three inside the first five overs — were undoubtedly the happier side, riding on half-centuries from AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, once classmates at Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool in Pretoria, to get to 286, and then reducing India to 28 for three by stumps. Morne Morkel claimed the biggest scalp with his very first delivery, getting Virat Kohli to fend one behind.
“Luckily our phones get taken away, otherwise I would have been looking for an Uber to get back to the hotel,” joked Dale Benkenstein, South Africa’s batting coach, as he spoke of the nightmare start. “They are a quality bowling attack and at that stage (12 for three), I was sitting there wondering how we were going to score a run. The genius of AB de Villiers and the tenacity of the captain (Du Plessis). That partnership got us back in the game and got that belief back in the changing room. I think it was just one over (from Bhuvneshwar) where AB just changed the game (with four boundaries). He made the bowlers have to worry about their lengths.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had played only five of 16 home Tests over the past two seasons, was India’s bowling hero, finishing with four for 87, including the first three wickets. Dean Elgar nibbled at a ball outside his off stump, Aidan Markram was beaten by inswing, and Hashim Amla slashed at one to leave South Africa in disarray after they had chosen to bat, despite selecting four fast bowlers to accompany the lone spinner.
But instead of steady consolidation, De Villiers and Du Plessis counterattacked, thrillingly in the case of De Villiers. He struck 11 fours in an 84-ball 65, and added 114 with Du Plessis before Jasprit Bumrah, a surprise debutant, sneaked one through his bat and pad.
Du Plessis fell soon after for 62, flailing loosely at a Hardik Pandya delivery well outside his off stump. Pandya wheeled away past gully to celebrate, while Kohli was spoken to by the umpires for whispering sweet nothings to the departing batsmen. Indian temperatures had risen moments earlier when a LBW shout was turned down, and their review was unsuccessful on the basis of umpire’s call.
Quinton de Kock played a sublime 40-ball cameo for 43 before edging Bhuvneshwar to Wriddhiman Saha, and South Africa would have been in even greater strife if Shikhar Dhawan, at third slip, hadn’t dropped Keshav Maharaj before he had scored. Maharaj went on to make 35, and the last three wickets added 65 as India’s bowlers overdid the short stuff.
In reply, Murali Vijay edged to gully, and Dhawan top-edged an injudicious pull off the returning Dale Steyn. But it was Kohli’s wicket that left South Africa with the feeling that the match was now firmly in their control.
“That’s how Test cricket is,” said a subdued Bhuvneshwar.
“We started really well and lost our way in between. We could have bowled a little better, but we gave away 25 to 30 runs extra. AB is best in the world. His counter-attack hurt us. It’s going to be tough. We knew this is a kind of situation we’d have to tackle.”
India’s progress checked on first day of South Africa Test in Cape Town
India’s progress checked on first day of South Africa Test in Cape Town
Freddy Schott wins maiden title after 3-way Bahrain Championship playoff
- The German beat Calum Hill and Patrick Reed after they all finished on 17-under after 72 holes
BAHRAIN: Freddy Schott won his first DP World Tour title after beating Calum Hill and Patrick Reed in a playoff at the 2026 Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on Sunday.
The trio were locked together at 17-under par after 72 holes. This was after Reed shot 67 on Sunday to make up a four-shot overnight deficit to Hill, who began day two clear but had to settle for a 71 after a bogey. Schott carded 69 to join the pair.
Reed bogeyed the first playoff hole to drop out of contention and after Hill went out of bounds second time round, before sending his fourth shot into the water, he sportingly conceded without making Schott putt for the win.
Schott, who was presented with the trophy by Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, said: “I have no idea. It’s just amazing, I’m just extremely happy, surprised ... I don’t know what’s happening right now. I’m just so happy.
“I could have done it the regular way, that would have also been fine. But to do it this way feels even more special so I’m just glad it happened this way.”
Hill, who equaled the course record of 61 in Friday’s second round, added to his two-shot overnight lead with an opening birdie after a superb approach, with Schott responding at the second before both players birdied the next.
The Scot was four clear after another gain at the fifth but bogeyed the sixth while Schott made birdie, cutting the lead to one before drawing level with a birdie at the next.
Schott bogeyed the eighth but led anyway as Hill made a double, and a birdie at the 10th took the German two ahead, only for a double-bogey of his own at the 11th to leave the pair all square again.
“It was tough, especially towards the end,” said Schott.
“The start was okay, because I was playing alright. It had good flow to it. Obviously, nerves kicked in from the back nine onwards. I was happy that I managed it okay, not perfect, but okay, and you guys saw what happened, so I’m very happy now.
Sergio Garcia had joined the leaders by that point after responding to an opening bogey with three birdies in four holes from the third and another three in succession from the ninth, as had Reed after his fifth gain of the day at the 12th.
Daniel Hillier carded six birdies in a blemish-free 66, his second six-under-par round of the week, to set the clubhouse target at 16-under as the leaders still on the course battled for supremacy.
Schott, Hill and Reed all reached 18-under with back-to-back birdies, Reed at the 13th and 14th with his rivals a hole behind.
Garcia’s challenge was left hanging by a thread after a double-bogey at the par-five 14th, as he eventually finished alongside Hillier on 16-under, and Reed dropped a shot at the 16th.
Schott and Hill missed the 17th green to the left before escaping with good chips, but while Hill holed his par putt, Schott made bogey.
Reed set a new clubhouse target of 17-under but when his birdie putt at the last agonizingly stayed up on the short side, Hill had a one-shot lead down the last.
But he sent his approach to the extreme left of the green, leaving a nasty putt up the slope by the side of the green which he was unable to get close. Schott was in similar territory but closer in, allowing him to save par while Hill made bogey to set up the playoff.
Reed found the bunker with his 73rd tee shot and went from there to the edge of another, with Schott and Hill both hitting the fairway and then the heart of the green.
Schott holed for par and despite a superb effort at his up-and-down, Reed was unable to respond and dropped out of contention. Hill held his nerve as he and Schott went back to the tee.
The Scot sent his next tee-shot out of bounds to the left, with Schott only just avoiding the water in response. He sent his approach right of the green but Hill found the water with his fourth and conceded after Schott chipped on.
Hill and Reed shared second with Garcia and Hillier fourth and France’s Ugo Coussaud a shot further back in sixth.
The championship provided invaluable experience for emerging golfers, with local players gaining exposure competing alongside Major champions and multiple DP World Tour winners.
Ahmed Alzayed, Ali Alkowari and Khalifa Almaraisi all teed it up at Royal Golf Club this week, with former Masters champions Garcia and Reed, and three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington.
While the cut proved elusive, the experience of competing at the highest level of professional golf will prove invaluable.
“The competition comes to an end, but it’s not the end for me, I think it’s just the beginning,” said Alkowari.
“I’m happy with the result this year. I played 20 shots better than last year, so there are improvements. Hopefully, if I’m playing next year, it will be even better. Who knows, maybe even making the cut.”
A record crowd of 13,186, a 30 percent increase on last year’s attendance, watched the action across the four days.
