Ravindra Jadeja claimed his third five-wicket haul in Test cricket © AFP
India hammered South Africa by 108 runs in the opening Test of their four-match series at Mohali on Saturday, taking a crucial 1-0 lead at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali on Saturday. After setting a daunting target of 218 runs to win on a ‘minefield’, Indian spinners ran riot in the South African ranks to help their side make a strong statement early on in the Gandhi-Mandela Series 2015. South Africa were bowled out for 109 in 39.5 overs as Ravindra Jadeja claimed five wickets in the second innings. Earlier on the third day, India were bowled out for 200, with Cheteshwar Pujara scoring 77. Ravichandran Ashwin claimed wickets in the match and Ravindra Jadeja took , whereas the leg-spinner Amit Mishra accounted for the dangerous AB de Villiers on both the innings. The second Test of the series begins on November 14 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Live Cricket Scorecard: India vs South Africa 2015, 1st Test at Mohali
After an ordinary first day, the Indian team kept pressure on their opponents and despite their batting collapse in the second innings, the scoreboard pressure helped them trouble the South Africans. India were bowled out for 201 in their first essay, and Ashwin’s five-for helped them take a slender 17-run lead, which turned out to be as good as of a 50-run lead in this scenario.
The third day began with India resuming at 125 for 2, with Pujara and Virat Kohli looking to out-bat South Africa. While that did not happen, they still managed to put on 66 runs for the third wicket, which helped India get crucial runs on the board. Kohli fell for 29 — signaling that his form was still ordinary — off Stiaan van Zyl. Kohli’s dismissal opened the floodgates as India crashed to 200 all-out, thanks to four-wicket hauls by both Imran Tahir and Simon Harmer.
The wickets tumbling to the spinners was not a surprise at the Mohali track, which was tailor-made for the tweakers. But what was surprising was to see batsmen falling on straight deliveries. The dismissal of Hashim Amla, who offered no stroke on a straight ball from Jadeja, was the lowest point of the South African innings.
South Africa perhaps read too much into the invincible record of Vernon Philander, who was never dismissed in fourth innings so far in his career. Philander was sent in to open, and Jadeja pounced on the opportunity to make a breakthrough. Philander was trapped in front of the wickets for 1 off 2 balls.
(More to follow)
Brief scores:
India 201 (Murali Vijay 75; Dean Elgar 4 for 22) & 200 (Murali Vijay 47, Cheteshwar Pujara 77; Imran Tahir 4 for 48, Simon Harmer 4 for 61) beat South Africa 184 (Hashim Amla 43, Ab de Villiers 63; Ravichandran Ashwin 5 for 51, Ravindra Jadeja 3 for 55) & 109 (Stiaan van Zyl 36; Ravindra Jadeja 5 for 21, Ravichandran Ashwin 3 foe 39) by 108 runs.
Full Cricket Scorecard: India vs South Africa 015, 1st Test at Mohali
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