Rahane shines as India reach 231/7 on day 1

This was the fourth time in the series when skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and immediately opted to make first use of the Kotla track.

Previously, having actually restricted the run flow throughout the very first session, the Proteas bowlers attacked in the post lunch session as they dismissed Dhawan (33) and Pujara (14) in fast succession to lower the hosts to 66 for three.

Ajinkya Rahane displayed vast mental strength and paced his innings really well.

Vijay was lucky to get a reprieve on personal score of 10 when Kyle Abbott delivery, which saw him edge one to AB de Villiers at second slip, was rightly ruled “no-ball” by the third umpire CK Nandan.

“I think what has been happening in the past two Test matches is he was slightly hurrying through is shots early on in his innings”, Bangar said.

Among the many firsts, it was Rahane’s first hundred on home soil.

The script quite didn’t go according to plan, and if not for Mumbai’s “Mr Adaptable” Ajinkya Rahane, it could’ve been worse.

It was the second career five-wicket haul for Abbott, who had picked three wickets on the opening day.

Thereafter, South Africa attempted to put pressure on the tail, but India were defiant, with Ashwin leading from the front.

4 – Number of Wickets Dane Piedt has taken in this innings- He has bowled in 3 Test innings so far- and he has taken exactly 4 wickets in previous innings also. I never thought I would get the opportunity to play for my country again, so when I got the call from Linda (Zondi – South Africa’s convener of selectors), it was an honour. A sweep off Piedt hit the thigh of Temba Bavuma at short leg and the ball ballooned towards the pitch. Rahane’s unbeaten 89 sure carried an up-and-down day for India, but they could have finished at a score more than 231 for seven if not for Rohit’s incomprehensible, but no more astonishing, dismissal on Thursday.

No. of wickets that have fallen on Day One of the four Tests, equalling a record for most wickets on the first days of a bilateral series of four or fewer Tests.

Two overs later, Rohit Sharma (1) failed to tackle Abbott’s reverse swing and edged to Amla at first slip, only for the South African captain to drop a regulation catch.

But Rahane wasn’t going to give his wicket away as easily, and he kept his composure and took a particular liking to Tahir to race into the 70s.

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir however struggled being whacked for a six by Pujara just before the lunch break. His partnership with Ashwin was the highlight of the morning session.

The tourists brought in Bavuma, Abbott and Piedt in place of Stiaan van Zyl, Kagiso Rabada and Simon Harmer.