Jadeja wreaks havoc as India spins out SA in three days
Recalled left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took five wickets in the fourth innings as India bundled out top-ranked South Africa for a paltry 109 to win the opening Test on the third day in Mohali on Saturday by 108 runs. Chasing 218 for victory on an exploding pitch, the challenge turned out to be a monumental task for the visitors as India took a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
Brief scores: India 201 & 200 (M Vijay 47, C Pujara 77) bt South Africa 184 & 109 (Stiaan van Zyl 36, R Jadeja 5-21, R Ashwin 3-39).
“First Test as captain at home was a special occasion for me, it is a young team… a lot of credit has to go to the team,” Indian captain Virat Kohli told the prize-giving ceremony.
Resuming at 125-2, the Indians collapsed like a pack of cards, losing five wickets for just 21 runs, before managing to reach 200 after taking a slender first innings lead of 17.
Off-spinner Simon Harmer and leg-spinner Imran Tahir triggered the Indian collapse, taking four wickets each, but it was part-time pacer Stiaan van Zyl who provided the crucial breakthrough, when he dismissed Kohli caught behind.
Kohli (29) and his overnight partner Pujara (77) took their overnight partnership to 66 as the hosts moved to 161-2 when Kohli edged an innocuous delivery behind. Tahir, on introduction, had Pujara caught at slip by Amla, as the spinners made sure injured paceman Dale Steyn’s absence was not felt.
“We thought if we are finding it difficult on this wicket, it is going to be difficult for them. As Hashim (Amla) said, there were soft dismissals, I don't think there were any demons in the wicket, the ball did not turn square at any stage, batsmen had to apply themselves, it was a bowler's game. You need mental strength at this level. (Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara) are two of the most solid guys we have. Had we applied more, we could have given them a bigger target,” Kohli added.
South Africa management promoted Vermon Philander as a pinch-hitter in a bid to unsettle the Indian bowlers, but the ploy didn’t work as Man of the Match Jadeja, who scored a crucial 38 in the first innings, dismissed him lbw in his first over after opening the attack alongside off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. The two spinners returned match-hauls of eight wickets each.
Ashwin got into the act in the following over as he forced Faf du Plessis to edge to Ajinkya Rahane at slip operating with three in close-in catching position almost right through. The following over Jadeja clean bowled skipper Amla with a straighter one, even as the batsman shouldered arms expecting the delivery to turn and bounce on pitching.
Leg-spinner Amit Mishra dismissed the dangerous AB de Villiers bowled for the second time in the match, the ball zooming through on pitching. It was only a question of time for India thereafter, only delayed by a fighting 36 by van Zyl (36).
“200 was a chaseable total, probably 150 would have been more realistic,” Amla told the prize-giving function. “150-160 would have been a fair challenge on a deteriorating wicket. There were some soft dismissals, we were in the game till we lost four or five and put pressure on the lower guys. Stiaan showed you could get runs if you hung in there. To get India for 200 was an excellent effort from our bowlers, we kept ourselves in the game till the last session, credit to India for bowling us out,” the South African skipper added.
The second Test will start in Bengaluru on November 14.
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