India’s perfect execution against South Africa puts them in driver’s seat of 1st Test at Mohali

In Test cricket, it has become a trend of late of obliterating all chances of comeback in case they fold up for modest totals. To comprehend this, it can be recalled that the outcome of the Ashes 2015 was heavily influenced by how Australia performed with the bat on the first days of both the third and fourth Tests. They were shot out for low scores on both occasions, and there were not many ways left for them to bounce back. But against this trend, the Indian cricket team found its mojo on the second day of their opening Test against South Africa at Mohali, putting up all-round show to put them into the driver’s seat. Full Cricket Scorecard: India vs South Africa 015, 1st Test, Day 1 at Mohali here It will not be wrong to assert that on the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali, India will need another 100-150 runs to place themselves in an invincible position. The South Africans displayed their frailties on the second day, with many of them not having a clue against the turning ball; they threw their wickets on deliveries that did not look threatening. Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja deserve full credit for putting the batting line-up of the world No. 1 side in tremendous pressure. If South Africans want to continue staking their claim on the top spot, they must show more application than what they did on the second day against quality spin on a track tailor-made for the spinners. Photo Gallery: India vs South Africa, 1st Test 2015 at Mohali For unknown reasons, Ashwin and Jadeja remained unused for a good 30 minutes into the day, which gave Hashim Amla and Dean Elgar to get their eye in and settle down. But the contest began once Ashwin started off with a probing over, and South Africa crumbled without much fight from their batsmen. It was established before the game began that Indian spinners will play a role in the outcome of the match, and what transpired has been on the expected lines. While spinners did what they were expected to, the batsmen too made merry. There are a few batsmen with such impervious attitude and application in India than Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara. Once again they formed a partnership so sturdy that the 86 runs that Vijay and Pujara added, it ensured that the South African spirits were sapped by the end of the day. Dean Elgar was made to look ordinary, and Simon Harmer remained harmless. Imran Tahir did get a wicket late in the day, but he was punished by men who know their way around these lanes. India were expected to play to their strengths, but expectations and execution are profoundly different in the game of cricket. India executed, and are hence on the driver’s seat for this Test. A victory, which seems likely now, will provide a massive boost to this young team. It may be too early to start predicting results, but a South African fightback is definitely on the cards. If India continue to execute their plans, it is unlikely that this South African team can create issues the way they did in the limited-overs leg of Freedom Series 2015. (Devarchit Varma is senior writer with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)