Ashwin and Aaron deal early blows after Kohli puts SA in to bat
Ravichandran Ashwin and Varun Aaron provided a solid start to India after Virat Kohli put South Africa in to bat. The visitors were struggling at 78/3 at the end of first session and wererelying on AB de Villiers to rescue them, once again, on his 100th test.
Brief scores: South Africa 78/3 in 24 overs (Elgar 38 (79)*, de Villiers 19 (27)*; Ashwin 2/21, Aaron 1/28)
Virat Kohli won the toss and asked South Africa to bat first on a pitch which did not look firm. The overcast condition might have also persuaded the Indian skipper to bowl first.
But instead of the fast bowlers, it was Ravichandran Ashwin who vindicated Kohli's decision as he trapped Stiaan van Zyl in front of the wicket for 10 runs. Three balls later, the off-spinner picked up the dangerous Faf du Plessis as Cheteshwar Pujara grabbed a brilliant catch at short leg.
South Africa were struggling at 15/2 for two, and to make matters worse, Varun Aaron was complementing Ashwin with a brilliant spell of fast bowling at the other end. The 26-year-old was consistently hitting speeds of 145 kph and dismissed Hasim Amla with a stunning delivery. Aaron angled in a delivery from wide of the crease and the ball straightened after pitching on the wicket. Amla played for the angle and missed the ball and it crashed into his off-stump.
The dismissal brought in AB de Villiers, who walked out to bat amidst huge cheers from the crowd. It is hard to remember the last time a foreign cricketer drew such admiration and love from Indian fans. The South African star, who is playing his 100th test match, made a solid start to his innings and is currently holding the fort for the Proteas, with Dean Elgar (38) partnering him at the other end.
India and Virat Kohli have the won the first session of this test though, and look to take an unassailable lead in this four-match test series.
