Spinners put India in control

Ashwin leads the way with five-for as hosts skittle out South Africa for 184

A fine show spin bowling — led by R Ashwin and aided no less by a powdery surface — and a much-improved batting performance helped India snatch the slight advantage that South Africa were holding at the end of the first day’s play.

Ashwin claimed a five-for (5/51), his fourth in the last five Tests, as South Africa folded up for 184 in 68 overs, exactly the number of overs India had taken for their first innings total of 201 all out.

Having gained a narrow but psychologically important 17-run lead, India further hammered home the advantage by finishing the second day of the first Test at 125 for two for an overall lead of 142 here at the IS Bindra Stadium on Friday.

India’s strong batting show in the second hit was fashioned by Cheteshwar Pujara’s unbeaten 63 (100b, 6x4, 1x6) and his 86-run stand for the second wicket with M Vijay (47, 105b, 6x4) after Shikhar Dhawan collected a pair for the match, falling for an 8-ball duck.

South Africa were also handicapped by the fact that Dale Steyn didn’t come on to bowl after straining his groin. The paceman has been ruled out from bowling on the third day as well, dealing a body blow for the visiting attack.

While Ashwin continued from where he had left in Sri Lanka, where he was the man of the series, the returning Ravindra Jadeja (3/55) and leggie Amit Mishra (2/35) played no insignificant roles in India hauling themselves back in the game.

Unlike on the opening day when the South Africa appeared more cautious than what was necessary, Dean Elgar and skipper Hashim Amla showed some positive intent. While Elgar wasn’t averse to playing an occasional big shot, Amla was able to squeeze in some of his trademark strokes. Where survival was their only motive on Thursday, Elgar and Amla added some valuable runs during a partnership that survived a few half chances and escaped umpires’ close scrutiny on occasion.

With each over, the visitors were eating into India’s first innings total while adding to the home team’s growing frustration. The ball was still gripping and turning and Virat Kohli tried all his three spinners, apart from his two pacers, but the wicket remained elusive.

It wasn’t until the first drinks break of the day that India found a way to separate the stubborn duo. Upon resumption, Kohli changed Ashwin’s bowling end and the off-spinner accounted for the first of his four wickets on the day.

Though not quite accustomed to batting in such conditions, Elgar had shown good temperament to keep the Indian attack at bay in the company of his captain. A momentary lapse in concentration on his part, however, helped India earn a breakthrough. Elgar’s attempted sweep off Ashwin resulted in a leading edge and Jadeja completed a simple take at backward point. Ashwin didn’t miss the opportunity to remind the batsman that this was no Johannesburg as he walked back. The left-hander’s dismissal broke the South African resolve too as Indian spinners struck repeatedly to suck the life out of their innings.

A fortuitous AB de Villiers (63), who fell to Jadeja on seven but earned a reprieve after third umpire Vineet Kulkarni ruled it a no-ball upon referral, did go on to hit a stroke-filled half-century but his partners kept deserting him at the other end; some due to bowlers’ guile and others due to their own frailties.

Even as India were rueing their fate after de Villiers’ lucky survival, Ashwin removed a well-set Amla in a freak manner. Amla stepped out of the crease to smother Ashwin’s full length delivery but missed the line as it spun away.

The ball then ricocheted off ’keeper Wriddhiman Saha on to the stumps to catch the batsman short of crease. Dane Vilas was impatient; sweeping the third ball he faced off Ashwin and top-edging it to Jadeja at square-leg.

Amit Mishra and Jadeja then struck in tandem to leave South Africa teetering at 179/9. Jadeja had Philander and Steyn while Mishra dismissed Simon Harmer and de Villiers, bowling the latter with a classical leg-spinning delivery, before Ashwin put an end to the innings, scalping Imran Tahir. In the process, Ashwin also became the fastest Indian to 150 Test wickets. The Chennai bowler took 29 matches as against Anil Kumble and EAS Prasanna’s 34 games.