India vs South Africa: 3rd Test, Day One - Indian batsmen falter on turning track

Murali Vijay top-scored for India with 40

In what is becoming an all to familiar occurence in the series, India’s batsmen faltered before their spinners came to the rescue, to give the hosts a slight advantage after an eventful day one at Nagpur.

Despite a solid start, none of India’s batsmen capitalised as they folded for 215, before Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin took a wicket apiece to leave the Proteas on 11/2.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Indian batsmen failed to deliver once again, as the top order all got starts, but failed to kick on. Shikhar Dhawan, who looked to have gotten out of his slump, once again failed, as he gifted a tame return catch to Dean Elgar.

Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s two premier batsmen in the series so far, got together and looked to be steadying things, but got a beautiful delivery from Morne Morkel, who picked his first of his three wickets in the innings.

Pujara was out leg before again to a spinner, but the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli that really hurt India’s chances of putting on a massive first innings total. Both players fell to Morkel, who was working up a head of steam.

From then onwards, it looked as though India might struggle to get to 150, especially with the fall of their last recognised batsmen in Rohit Sharma for an uncharacteristically slow 2 off 28 balls, but Wriddhiman Saha batted brilliantly with the tail, to ensure India got beyond 200.

In the partnership with Jadeja, it was the all-rounder, who was the aggressor, as he used his feet and punished the bad balls expertly. But once he got out, Saha took more of the initiative, as he finished with 32, which in the context of the game, is worth a lot more than that.

Once Amit Mishra became Simon Harmer’s fourth victim, with the score at 215, it was always going to be a tricky half hour for the visitors and that is exactly how it panned out.

After a token opening over from Ishant Sharma, the sole pace bowler in the side, Ashwin and Jadeja got to work, as they suffocated the openers by bowling probing lines on a helpful wicket.

Stiaan van Zyl edged Ashwin to Rahane at first slip and already, despite their low score, India were on top on a pitch that is providing plenty of assistance for the spinners.

In what was a surprise, Imran Tahir walked out as the nightwatchman at the fall of the first wicket. Although he was lucky to have survived a stumping, when his foot looked to be on the line, he perished soon after, as he failed to pick Jadeja’s straight ball.

In the end, Hashim Amla, who would have come in at No.3, had to come out for the last two overs. If the Proteas are to have any chance of getting near India’s score, they need their captain to emulate his previous performance in Nagpur.

Scorecard:

India won the toss and decided to bat first

India 1st innings: