India takes control of 1st test vs. South Africa as 15 wickets fall on Day 2

KOLKATA, India (AP) — India's Ravindra Jadeja took 4-29 as South Africa was down to 93-7 (35 overs) at stumps on Day 2 of the first cricket test.

Fifteen wickets fell Saturday, as India took control of proceedings after it was bowled out for 189 runs in its first innings.

The hosts took a slender lead of 30 runs, before knocking over the majority of the Proteas’ batting lineup in the second innings.

South Africa had scored 159 runs in its first innings, with Jasprit Bumrah picking 5-27. Overall, it leads by 63 runs after two days of high attrition on an unpredictable surface.

At stumps, skipper Temba Bavuma was batting on 29 runs off 78 balls with Corbin Bosch (1 not out) for company. Play was called off early once again because of bad light.

Spin was the flavor of the day, and India started off its attack with Axar Patel from one end in the second innings.

Kuldeep Yadav struck right at the stroke of tea — Ryan Rickelton was out lbw for 11 runs, with the score at 18-1.

Another six Proteas wickets fell in the final session. Jadeja struck hard at the South African lineup with his discipline.

Aiden Markram was caught at short leg for four, while Wiaan Mulder was caught behind for 11 runs.

South Africa slumped to 60-5 as Jadeja struck twice in the 17th over — after Mulder, he had Toni de Zorzi caught for 2 runs. Later, Tristan Stubbs failed to read another straight delivery, and was bowled for 5 runs.

Kyle Verreynne (9) played a poor stroke off Axar Patel and was castled, with the score down to 75-6.

Marco Jansen threw his bat around to score 13 runs, before he was caught off Yadav. But it was Bavuma who held one end up for South Africa and pushed the game into Day 3.

Earlier, India was bowled out for a lowly first innings’ score as well with off-spinner Simon Harmer picking 4-30. Jansen also took 3-35, with Keshav Maharaj (1-66) and Bosch (1-32) taking a wicket apiece.

Starting at overnight 37-1, Lokesh Rahul and Washington Sundar had negotiated the first hour of play without loss, adding 38 runs in 14 overs.

In the second hour, South Africa struck back with three wickets even as India scored 63 runs. Sundar was the first to go — out caught at slip off Harmer who found ample help from the pitch. He scored 29 runs off 82 balls, with two fours and a six.

Skipper Gill retired hurt after facing only three deliveries — he felt a jerk in his neck when hitting his first boundary and walked off retired hurt.

Gill did not come out to bat again, and reportedly is suffering from a neck spasm. Vice-captain Rishabh Pant marshaled India in the second innings in Gill’s absence.

Rahul scored 39 and was caught off Maharaj, with Markram taking a low catch at slip.

Pant then scored 27 off 24 balls, including two sixes, to speed the scoring prior to lunch, before he fell to a bouncer from Bosch. The first session resulted in 101 runs overall with India 138-4 at lunch.

Dhruv Jurel was the first to go in the second session — a simple, low return catch to Harmer after India crossed 150.

Jadeja crossed 4,000 runs in his test career, as he scored 27 off 45 balls. He joined a select group of all-rounders to pick 300 wickets and score 4000 runs in tests — India’s Kapil Dev, England’s Ian Botham and New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori.

Jansen then got into the attack and dismissed the lower-order for cheap. Only Axar Patel resisted with 16 runs, and he was the last man out — caught off Harmer again.

It gave India a slender lead, but the hosts regained control of the match by stumps.

“Playing attacking cricket is the only option as a batter,” Axar Patel said “We can’t have a defensive mindset because you are never in. So we have to convert the loose balls. Patience is key on this surface. If we can keep them below 125, it should be chaseable tomorrow."

South Africa hasn’t won a test in India in 15 years.

The second test will be played from Nov. 22 at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium, which hosted multiple games in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup but will become a men’s test venue for the first time.

Recently, India beat West Indies 2-0, with left-arm wrist spinner Yadav the leading bowler with 12 wickets. South Africa drew a two-test series in Pakistan 1-1.

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India's Ravindra Jadeja, front, celebrates with teammate Mohammed Siraj at the end of play on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

India's Ravindra Jadeja, right, and teammates celebrate the dismissal of South Africa's Tony de Zorzi, second right, on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

South Africa's Simon Harmer celebrates the dismissal of India's Ravindra Jadeja on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

South Africa's Corbin Bosch, center, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of India's Rishabh Pant on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

South Africa's Simon Harmer, left, listens to captain Temba Bavuma before bowling his next delivery on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

South Africa's Simon Harmer, left, celebrates with teammate Marco Jansen after the dismissal of India's Washington Sundar on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

India's captain Shubman Gill reacts as he leaves the field after retired hurt on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

India's KL Rahul walks off the field after losing his wicket on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Qatar’s prime minister on Saturday said the Gaza ceasefire has reached a “critical moment” as its first phase winds down, with the remains of one Israeli hostage still to be handed over by militants.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told a conference in the Qatari capital that international mediators, led by the U.S., are working “to force the way forward” to the second phase to cement the deal.

“What we have just done is a pause,” he told the Doha Forum. “We cannot consider it yet a ceasefire.”

He added: “A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of Israeli forces, there is stability back in Gaza, people can go in and out, which is not the case today."

While the ceasefire halted the heavy fighting of the two-year war, Gaza health officials say that over 360 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the truce took effect on Oct. 10.

In new violence, two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike northwest of Gaza City, Shifa Hospital said.

Israel's army said it wasn't aware of an airstrike in that location. However, it said that Israeli soldiers on Saturday killed three militants who crossed the “yellow line” into Israeli-controlled northern part of Gaza and “posed an immediate threat."

The Israeli army has said it has carried out a number of attacks on Palestinians crossing the ceasefire line.

Under the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, the fighting stopped and dozens of hostages held in Gaza were exchanged for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prison. Israel sent a delegation last week to Egypt for talks on returning the remains of the last hostage.

The next phase has not begun. It includes the deployment of an international security force in Gaza, formation of a new technocratic government for the territory, disarmament of Hamas and an eventual withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Arab and Western officials told The Associated Press on Friday that an international body overseeing the ceasefire, to be led by Trump himself, is expected to be appointed by the end of the year. In the long term, the plan also calls for a possible “pathway” to Palestinian independence.

Qatar’s prime minister said that even the upcoming phase should be “temporary” and that peace in the region could only take place with the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state — something that is opposed by Israel's hard-line government.

“If we are just resolving what happened in Gaza, the catastrophe that happened in the last two years, it’s not enough,” he said. “There is a root for this conflict. And this conflict is not only about Gaza."

He added: “It’s about Gaza. It’s about the West Bank. It’s about the rights of the Palestinians for their state. We are hoping that we can work together with the U.S. administration to achieve this vision at the end of the day.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said there is a “big question” over the formation of an international security force for Gaza. Speaking at the conference, he said it's unclear which countries will join, what the command structure would look like and what its “first mission” will be.

Turkey is one of the guarantors of the ceasefire, but Israel, which has rocky relations with the Ankara government, has rejected any Turkish participation in the force.

“Thousands of details, questions are in place,” Fidan said. "I think once we deploy ISF, the rest will come.”

A day after an overwhelming international endorsement, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said its future role in Gaza is unclear.

Throughout the war, Israel and the United States have sidelined UNRWA, accusing it cooperating with Hamas, a charge UNRWA denies.

Tamara Alrifai, UNRWA’s director of external relations and communications, said the agency continues to offer humanitarian and educational services in Gaza. But she said UNRWA has been excluded from U.S.-led talks on the ceasefire's second phase.

Alrifai said that UNRWA serves as the de facto “public sector” in Gaza. And with 12,000 employees, she said it will be nearly impossible for the international community to duplicate the agency's network of services.

“If you squeeze UNRWA out, what other agency can fill that void?” she said on the sidelines of the Doha Forum.

The U.S., formerly the largest donor to UNRWA, halted funding to the agency in early 2024. On Friday, the U.N. General Assembly renewed UNRWA’s mandate through 2029. But Alrifai said the cash crisis continues.

“Votes are great. Cash is better,” Alrifai said.

The war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants entered Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking over 250 people hostage. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed over 70,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says that nearly half the dead have been women and children. The ministry is part of Gaza's Hamas government and its numbers are considered reliable by the U.N. and other international bodies.

Find more of AP’s Israel-Hamas coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Palestinian fishermen work in the Mediterranean Sea in the port of Gaza City, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians sit on the pavement by the Mediterranean Sea in the port of Gaza City, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A Palestinian man and his fiancee take pictures on the Mediterranean Sea in the port of Gaza City, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians walk by the Mediterranean beach front in Gaza City, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A Palestinian girl sits on a swing in the port of Gaza City on the Mediterranean Sea, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Tents sheltering displaced Palestinians stand amid the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive in Gaza City Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)