India on 185/8 at lunch on Day 3

And the players kept their word as India won the first Test of the four-match series against South Africa at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Saturday by a mammoth 108 runs. There is no doubt about it. But, there is little embarrassment if the match comes to end within three days. Kohli wasted no time in getting down to business in the final innings by giving the new ball to spinners Ashwin (3-39) and Jadeja.

The Proteas sprang a surprise by sending paceman Vernon Philander to open the innings, a ploy that bombed with Jadeja trapping the batsman leg before with his first ball.

In the next over, skipper Hashim Amla did not do any justice to his reputation when he made a decision to leave a Jadeja delivery only to find himself bowled for nought.

South Africa’s quest of winning in all three formats on its 72-day tour suffered a setback and it will be hard for it to bounce back especially since other venues may also be made to suit India’s spin strength.

The visitors began the day on 28 for two as overnight batsmen Dean Elgar (37) and Hashim Amla (43) combined for 76, while AB De Villiers would become a lone warrior later on for his 63 before falling to Mishra.

He got full support from Ravindra Jadeja (18-0-55-3) and Amit Mishra (12-3-35-2).

The two teams will now travel to Bengaluru for the second Test, beginning November 14.

Stiaan van Zyl top-scored for the tourists with 36, but seven batsmen failed to reach double figures.

Before this, Ashwin and Jadeja wiped off the top order in the first four overs. However opener Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara propped up Indian second innings with 86-run second wicket partnership. Later, he got Dane Vilas (1) caught at fine leg.

Any hopes of at least matching the scores were undone in the very next over when Imran Tahir departed for four to give Ashwin his five-for. India were leading by 142 runs with eight wickets in hand.

Simon Harmer (7) offered a stubborn resistance as he along with de Villiers added 34 runs for the seventh wicket.

Indian captain Virat Kohli was delighted to win his first Test on home soil as captain.

Ashwin also tested Amla with his flight and one of them caught the right-hander’s inside edge only to fall short of leg-slip. After that it was a procession as wickets tumbled in a jiffy. He was caught to a lovely diving catch by substitute Temba Bavuma at short leg, off legspinner Imran Tahir. Jadeja has high grasp over these kinds of pitches.

Unable to read Harmer’s off-spin from around the wicket, Jadeja missed his backfoot flick to be trapped LBW. Not done yet, Harmer struck again to get Mishra out for 2.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja returned to deal a bigger blow when he castled Amla, the South Africa captain offering no shot to a ball that crashed on to his middle stump. He didn’t disappoint. Fourth five-wicket haul, 5-52, in last five Tests on way to 150 wickets in 29 games… those are the numbers of a bowler in form.