Riding on Ashwin’s Fifer, Kohli’s India Stage The Perfect Comeback

India folded their second innings at 200 a few minutes into the post-lunch session but wasted no time in getting down to business with the think-tank giving the new ball to spinners Ravichandran Ashwin (1-23) and Ravindra Jadeja (2-11) in South Africa’s run chase.

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.

After India were bundled for 201 in the first innings, Ashwin made sure with his 13th five-wicket haul that the hosts take a narrow 17-run lead over South Africa.

The gamble to open with tailender Vernon Philander backfired when the fast bowler was leg-before to Jadeja for one in the second over.

Wickets subsequently fell at regular intervals as India were bowled out on in 68 overs, Ravindra Jadedja scoring a patient 38 and Ravichandran Ashwin left unbeaten on 20.

India’s batsmen were also rattled by the wicket, although Kohli said it wasn’t too bad.

Four balls later, Jadeja took a fine running catch at backward point to get rid of Dane Vilas and reduce the Proteas to 5 for 107.

The Proteas were without injured Morne Morkel for the first match in the four-Test series, allowing 20-year-old Rabada to make his debut.

But keeping the score card running for the visitors was South African batting bastion AB de Villiers who completed a crucial half-century, on the second day of the opening Test. He was later bowled out by Amit Mishra at 63.

Kohli gave special praise to Jadeja – playing in his first Test since August 2014 – after eight wickets and 46 runs in the match, and backed the 26-year-old to have a big future.

The 29-year-old, who had dismissed Stiaan van Zyl the previous evening, sent back Elgar after the opening batsman had kept India at bay for 75 minutes along with Amla.

For India, overnight batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and captain Virat Kohli began well, looking largely untroubled in their 66-run stand.

R Ashwin foxed Faf du Plessis with a straighter one and got him to edge to slip in the third over before Hashim Amla, quite inexplicably, shouldered arms to a straight ball from Jadeja to lose his middle stump.

“First Test as captain at home was a special occasion for me, it is a young team and we are building a strong team together”, Kohli said.

“I think it’s definitely a good wicket to bat first on”.