MOHALI, India South Africa made India rue their decision to bat first by reducing the hosts to 82 for three wickets at lunch on the opening day of the first test on Thursday. Elgar’s hard-working 123-ball stay at the wicket was laced with just two boundaries.
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Dean Elgar was the unlikely bowling hero for South Africa as the tourists skittled India for 201 on the opening day of the first Test in Mohali on Thursday.
He pocketed opener Elgar (37) and big fish Amla (43) and tailenders Dane Vilas (1) and Tahir (4) to add to the wicket of Stiaan van Zyl (5) he took on the first evening.
AB de Villiers (26) and Vernon Philander were at the crease when lunch was called.
The Indians hit back with a couple of early wickets as the Proteas ended the day at 28/2, trailing by 173 runs.
“But he bowled so many dot balls, he bowled a long spell and if you are capable of bowling long spells, one or two is going to jump and that’s what he has done well”.
Probably the most important statistic from a South African point of view is the fact that only three members of the playing XI – Amla, De Villiers and Steyn – have played in a Test match in India before and that likely contributed to Friday’s disappointing batting performance.
Elgar’s next delivery produced another scalp when wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha got out in exactly the same fashion, to be caught by Amla at the same spot for a first-ball duck. Ashwin, who reached 150 Test wickets, was wrecker-in-chief as Proteas handed over India a minimal lead. Dhawan wanted to make room and smack it past point, but all he did was edge it to Hashim Amla at slips.
Earlier, Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin (5 for 51), Ravindra Jadeja (3 for 55) and Amit Mishra (2 for 35) skittled out South Africa for 184 in 68 minutes in their first innings.
After Dhawan was caught at second slip in a repeat of his first-innings dismissal in the second session, Tahir gave the visitors the much-needed breakthrough with a googly that got dangerman Vijay back in the pavilion.
“I think a lot of times when batsmen face me they don’t want to get out to me and become tentative, which works in my favour”.
South Africa missed pace spearhead Dale Steyn, who did not take the field in the second innings due to a “tight right groin”, according to Cricket South Africa.
Pujara compiled his seventh half-century in tests to lead India to 125 for two at stumps, an overall lead of 142 in the low-scoring match.
Elgar was unbeaten on 13 at Stumps on Day-one with his team 28 for 2.
India took charge of the remaining two sessions by claiming the remaining five wickets for 57 and building a good lead in their second essay.
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They failed to see the strengths of South African team that boasts of a few of the best batsmen, the fastest pacers and the best of the best fielders.
