South Africa rattle India in first Test

‘I don’t think it is a very good cricket wicket.

India won the toss and chose to bat first on a track that had plenty of cracks on it for the spinners to exploit. With JP Duminy out injured, and despite the fact that South Africa chose two spinners, they still needed something a little bit different.

So dominant were the spinners that Dean Elgar, who had always made the team mainly on the strength of his batting, created havoc with the ball. Spin twins Ravichandran Ashwin, who opened the bowling, and Ravindra Jadeja brought the smiles back on Kohli’s face as South Africa fought for survival.

Birthday boy Virat Kohli opted to bat first on a pitch which he felt would favour the batsman, but India lost their first wicket without a run on the board when Vernon Philander (2- 38) got rid of Shikhar Dhawan.

The South African skipper took three catches on Thursday, the last two coming of Elgar’s bowling.

Elgar trapped Pujara lbw for 31 with his fourth delivery.

Four balls later, Elgar dived in the covers to remove India captain Virat Kohli for 1 on his 27th birthday, also giving debutant fast bowler Kagiso Rabada his first Test wicket.

His dismissal exposed the South African tail and they would hope that de Villiers pulls up his socks to get them close to the Indian total. “His innings of 75 off 136 balls with a dozen boundaries was an example of patience and character”.

Being a part of Railways team for long and having played at the under-prepared wickets of Karnail Singh Stadium, Bangar knows how these surfaces could “backfire”.

Vijay attempted a sweep off Simon Harmer (1-51) only to be caught plumb in front. “Pity only a few hundred people were present in the stands to appreciate Vijay’s fine innings”.

Team Director Ravi Shastri though has asserted that even Amit Mishra and Jadeja, who has been in stellar form in the current Ranji season, will be crucial to the home side’s fortunes. Or was it responsible for Faf du Plessis offering no shot and being bowled by Ravindra Jadeja? The ploy worked as Ashwin produced a straight delivery which struck Stiaan van Zyl (5) on the pads while he attempted to leave the ball. Jadeja understandably couldn’t stop celebrating.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Vijay retrieved the situation with a 63-run partnership for the second wicket.

India came down to 65/3 when Ajinkya Rahane came to bat and he along with Vijay had added 37 runs before India got another double blow as Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha were dismissed by Elgar.

So dominant was Elgar with his accurate deliveries that Amla never bothered to call up his second spinner, Imran Tahir, till the 44th over.

But it was left-arm spinner Elgar’s impressive figures of 4-22 that spun a web against an Indian line-up that failed to show application in mostly overcast conditions on a slow and low wicket.