India v South Africa: Ravindra Jadeja spins hosts to victory

India’s spinners tied South Africa’s batsmen up in knots to give the hosts a 108-run victory in the bowler-dominated first Test in Mohali on Saturday.

Eighteen wickets tumbled on an extraordinary third day as South Africa wobbled quickly in their pursuit of a 218-run victory target before being shot out for just 109 as India took a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

Dean Elgar was the unlikely bowling hero for South Africa as the tourists skittled India for 201 on Thursday’s opening day of the first Test in Mohali.

India moved to 161-2 before the top-ranked Proteas, without their injured pace spearhead Dale Steyn, grabbed three top-order wickets for as many runs to spark a collapse.

Pujara also did not stay for long after that and the introduction of Tahir from Zyl’s end did the trick when the leg-spinner scalped the settled batsman on the very first delivery.

De Villiers, who struck three centuries in the preceding five-game one-day global series which South Africa won 3-2, was the ninth man out as he was bowled by Mishra.

Ashwin created history by becoming the first Indian to reach 150 Test wickets in just 29 matches, going past legends Erapalli Prasanna and Anil Kumble who did it in 34 games.

With this Test ending on Day Three, the players get a week’s layoff before the second at Bangalore, which starts on November 14. It was the first wicket by an Indian pacer in the game and left South Africa’s chase in disarray at 45 for 5.

Vijay looked the most comfortable among the Indian batsmen at the crease and brought up his 12th fifty in tests before getting out lbw to off-spinner Simon Harmer while attempting a sweep shot.

Ashwin claimed five South African scalps including Dean Elgar, Stiaan van Zyl, Hashim Amla, Dane Vilas and Imran Tahir on a slow wicket at the PCA stadium. Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara (31) steadied the boat with a 63-run stand only to see the bowlers strike back.

After surviving a few anxious moments in the middle, De Villiers got into his own to hit six boundaries.

Ashwin picked up 5/51, while fellow spinners Ravindra Jadeja took 3/55 and Amit Mishra helped team India with 2/55.

South Africa’s morale was further dampened as Steyn did not take the field in the second innings due to a groin injury. Ashwin’s ball that got Faf Du Plessis had everything, drift, flight and a bit of turn.

It wasn’t so much about the supposed demons in the wicket, as much as it was about the lack of application by the batsmen.