Both sides went in with an extra spinner for the match with India opting for leg-spinner Amit Mishra and South Africa adding off-spinner Simon Harmer to their line-up.
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Harmer grabbed 4-78 and Morkel took 3-35 as India struggled after electing to bat on a pitch already helping spin bowling.
At stumps on day one, South Africa were 11 for two with a deficit of 204 runs.
India’s tactics to spin a web around the Proteas may have reaped the desired benefits as they lead the four-Test series 1-0, but the sudden change in nature of tracks seemed to have unsettled an otherwise prolific Kohli.
There were some useful contribution from Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 32 and 34 respectively. If Steyn is unable to play, Morne Morkel may have to lead the South African pace attack since Vernon Philander is also ruled out due to injury.
Ashwin was castled by Imran Tahir (1-41) while Mishra was dismissed lbw by Harmer as India were bowled out for 215 in just 78.2 overs. Their departures left India on 116-5.
Remember, the last time South Africa appeared in a Test here, they won convincignly.
Dhawan superior down the wicket however might exclusively handle to spoon the ball again to the bowler, who took a sensible diving catch. “I believe if he can shorten that stance, just a little bit, his balance will be that much better”, Gavaskar explained. “If one bowled slow, the batsman could adjust and play the ball more easily”. “In the first game, we had five frontline bowlers, which for me was a very attacking option”.
Although the Test was well and truly washed out, there was reason for India to be happy as opener Shikhar Dhawan found some form with an unbeaten 45 runs. “It’s challenging conditions but not something unexpected”, Harmer said. “But being a spinner, I like bowling on such wickets”. Duminy acknowledges that the off-spinner has been brilliant for India so far. “We didn’t get going with any partnerships, AB [De Villiers] was exceptional as always and unfortunately nobody stuck around with him long enough to post a big total”. “The issue has been with the lack of runs more than the wickets, so hopefully we get the runs on the board and continue to play the game till the end”.
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South Africa were dealt a blow with Dale Steyn, the world’s top ranked bowler in the five-day format, failing to recover sufficiently from the groin strain he suffered in Mohali.
