Published: Nov 07, 2015, 06:42 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 07, 2015, 07:10 PM (IST)
India won the opening Test against South Africa at Mohali by 108 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match Test series. The match finished in less than three days, with as many as 18 wickets falling on Day Three on what proved to be a turning track. The Indian spinners took 19 of the 20 South African wickets that fell, with both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja taking five-wicket hauls. Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara played crucial knocks in both innings as well. Here are five reasons India won the opening Test against South Africa. Cricket Scorecard: India vs South Africa 2015, 1st Test at Mohali
1. Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara bail India out: The protagonists for India remained the same in both innings. Vijay set things up in the first innings with a superb 75 and contributed 47 in the second innings as well. On the other hand, Pujara scored 31 in the first innings and came up with 77 in the second innings. In all, Vijay and Pujara scored 230 of the 401 runs scored by India in the match. Had it not been for them, India would have been bowled out for well under 200 on both occasions, and would have probably gone on to lose the Test. READ: Cheteshwar Pujara lays to rest No. 3 debate for India in Tests with steely knock against South Africa in 1st Test
2. Ravichandran Ashwin cleans out the Proteas: For a long time now Ravichandran Ashwin has been India’s best bowler, especially on home conditions. Once again he was doing what he does best in the first innings. After India got bowled out for 201, he got the ball rolling (or in this case, spinning) by getting Stiaan van Zyl out LBW for 5. He then preyed on Dean Elgar’s patience and had him top-edge an attempted slog to Jadeja at point.
He then took perhaps the most important wicket of the innings when he had Hashim Amla — who was batting wonderfully till then — stumped for 43. He also made AB de Villiers look like a novice when the latter had come newly come in. Ashwin also got rid of Dane Vilas and Imran Tahir to complete yet another Test five-for. It was also his 150th Test wicket. Ashwin became the fastest Indian to the landmark in the process, doing it in his 29th Test. Opening bowling in the second innings, Ashwin snapped up Faf du Plessis for 1, van Zyl again for 36, and Dale Steyn for 2.
3. Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round brilliance: Jadeja made his Test comeback a memorable one with a Man of the Match-winning all-round display. Fresh from a spectacular Ranji Trophy 2015-16 stint, Jadeja was back to action in India’s first innings. Coming in to bat at No. 7, he looked as good as he ever has with the bat in Tests. It was not just the runs he scored but the manner in which they were scored; the front foot came to the pitch of the ball more often than not and there were fewer prods than usual. His 38 was the second-highest score in India’s first innings. READ: Ravindra Jadeja back with a bang in India vs South Africa 2015, 1st Test at Mohali
However, it was with the ball that Jadeja truly proved his worth. His fielding and catching was spot on as always — he pouched two catches in the match — but it was with ball in hand that he hurt South Africa the most. Jadeja took 3 for 55 in the first innings, which included the wickets of du Plessis, Vernon Philander, and Steyn. He did even better in the second innings with 5 for 21, this time taking out Philander, Amla, Vilas, Simon Harmer, and Tahir.
4. Amit Mishra takes AB de Villiers twice: If there was one batsman India would have been wary of, it was de Villiers. Ashwin made him look absolutely pedestrian early in the first innings, and he got a couple of lives off Jadeja’s bowling as well. But once he got in, de Villiers looked on a different level to the other batsmen. His 63 was instrumental in South Africa crossing 150 and ensuring India’s lead was down to a manageable 17. He was done in by Amit Mishra, who foxed him with a faster ball and had him bowled. In the second innings, de Villiers started off positively, but was bowled off the inside edge by a Mishra googly. It was the only wicket Mishra took in the second innings, but it was enough for India. READ: Virat Kohli: Tracing the growth of a superstar
5. Discipline from pacers: Though Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron took just one wicket in the match between them, they ensured that South Africa got no freebies. Both pacers have a tendency to be expensive, but they showed remarkable control and bowled well to ensure the opponents had no let-up. Umesh bowled just nine overs in the match, but went for a cut over two runs an over, while Aaron bowled 11 overs for 21 runs in the match. They did not bowl too much, but they were disciplined when they did bowl.
