India spin to series lead against South Africa

On a thrilling third day that turned out to be the last of the Mohali Test, India secured a 1-0 lead over South Africa with their spinners picking the batsmen off like plastic ducks at a shooting range. An alarming 18 wickets fell on day three at the PCA Stadium, 16 of them to spin, and none more significant than the nine that India’s three-pronged spin quotient accounted for as South Africa, chasing 218, were bowled out for 109.

These telling strikes on a turning pitch, including five to comeback man Ravindra Jadeja, shoved into the background India’s own collapse of 8/39 to be bowled to for 201. Virat Kohli has now won three Test matches in a row, including his first at home. This 108-run victory was India’s fourth in a row at home inside three days.

Winning the toss had been significant because batting fourth on a wearing surface was not preferable. Kohli would have expected his team to still be batting at tea on Saturday, considering the overnight platform they had, but a collapse to 201 all out had dashed those aspirations. Still, with Jadeja, R Ashwin and Amit Mishra at his disposal, Kohli had reason to believe India could defend 217. That they did, and how.

The tourists sent Vernon Philander to open the innings with Dean Elgar, but the experiment failed spectacularly with Jadeja striking him in line with the stumps first ball. Faf du Plessis averted a pair but could only manage one run before he played down the wrong line and edged Ashwin to slip. Hashim Amla’s decision to not offer a shot to Jadeja was fatal, the regulation arm ball going on to hit middle stump. The score read 10/3 and Indian hopes soared.

There would be no reprise of AB de Villiers’ first-innings counter-punch, as he also played for turn and was bowled by Mishra’s fifth delivery. Just when a partnership was forming, Kohli called on Varun Aaron for a shot of pace and the move brought immediate results, as a bouncer drew a leading edge from Elgar. At 45/5, South Africa were haemorrhaging.

There was no coming back from that, with Jadeja (5/21) and Ashwin (3/39) mopping up the rest.