India vs South Africa Highlights: Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja Keep Hosts Afloat as Proteas Battle Spin Demons
On a difficult pitch, India and South Africa found the going tough. The Proteas pace bowlers and spinners bowled with accuracy and none of the Indian batsmen got going. Barring Murali Vijay's 75 and Ravindra Jadeja's 38, all the batsmen failed to contribute. India opened with Ashwin and the spin trio of Amit Mishra, Jadeja and R Ashwin made the Proteas struggle. Catch all the highlights here.
India were finally playing their first Test series at home after more than two years. They won the toss and chose to bat but things went rapidly downhill from that point. None of the top order batsmen got going, barring Murali Vijay who hung firm and scored a gritty 75. Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin revived India but the discipline of the South African bowlers restricted them to 201. The hosts opened with spin and R Ashwin bowled magnificently. He was well supported by Mishra and Jadeja as South Africa crawled to 28/2. Relive all the moments here: (SCORECARD | NEWS | VIDEOS)
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16:50 hrs IST: South Africa have hung in there, barely! They are going to face a massive trial by spin in the coming days as they look to battle the conditions. R Ashwin was in his elements as he troubled all the batsmen. South Africa will be ruing the fact that both batsmen gave their wickets away due to misjudgment. South Africa have moved to 28/2, trailing by 173 runs as they aim for survival on day two.
16:39 hrs IST: Only four overs remain in the day. Amla and Elgar are doing a great job at hanging in there but the pressure is mounting.
16:25 hrs IST: The spinners are continuing to wreck havoc. As expected, the spin trio of R Ashwin, Amit Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja are causing havoc. The pitch is absolutely helping their cause.
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16:11 hrs IST: WICKET! Another brain fade. Another leave and South Africa are in big trouble. Faf du Plessis b Ravindra Jadeja 0 (4).
What a start for Jadeja in his comeback Test. He comes round the wicket and gets this flighted delivery to drift in, du Plessis misjudges the length and leaves it, the ball crashes into the off stump. This is similar to the way Jadeja got his first Test wicket, when he got Jonathan Trott in Nagpur in 2012. South Africa 9/2, trailing by 192 runs.
16:06 hrs IST: There are four fielders around the bat for Faf du Plessis. This is the crucial time for both teams. A wicket for both teams could tilt the advantage enormously.
16:01 hrs IST: Wonderful bowling from R Ashwin. Stiaan van Zyl has been completely flummoxed and he will be perplexed when he sees the replay. Stiaan van Zyl lbw Ashwin 5 (23).
Brilliant ball from Ashwin. He tosses this delivery up and it drifts in, it goes straight on and van Zyl leaves it, thinking that it will spin away, instead he gets rapped on the pads and the ball would have hit off stump. South Africa are 9/1, trailing by 192 runs.
15:53 hrs IST: R Ashwin is continuing to trouble the openers with his accuracy and guile. The delivery that is causing them the most trouble is the straighter one that just skids through. At the other end, Umesh Yadav is trying to keep things tight.
15:40 hrs IST: India have decided to open the bowling with R Ashwin. This will be a new challenge for South Africa. With the sluggish nature of the wicket, Stiaan van Zyl and Dean Elgar have a lot on their plate as they look to negotiate the final hour.
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15:35 hrs IST: Indian batting flopped big time on a pitch that showed signs of being a two-paced one. Virat Kohli, who was smiling after winning the toss, lost the plot from the second over when the hosts lost Shikhar Dhawan for zero.   ÂÂ
15:22 hrs IST: WICKET! Imran Tahir gets another one to mark the end of Indian innings. Varun Aaron b Imran Tahir 0 (3).ÂÂ
It's been pretty shoddy performance from the lndian team who could only manage 201 from 68 overs. Tahir cleaned up the tail with two superbly disguised googlies, which proved too good for tail-enders.ÂÂ
15:20 hrs IST: WICKET! Imran Tahir gets his name in the wicket coloumn as he he removes Umesh Yadav for 5. Umesh Yadav b Imran Tahir 5 (7).ÂÂ
15:11 hrs IST: WICKET! Vernon Philander's persistence finally pays off as he removes Ravindra Jadeja for 38. Ravindra Jadeja LBW Vernon Philander 38 (92)
Philander's expression said it all as he was super exited with his scalp. Jadeja at the end of previous over, seemed to have struggled with some sort of strain and that could be the reason why he couldn't move a bit more freely. ÂÂ
15:11 hrs IST: Vernon Philander is getting frustrated in the middle. After couple of shouts against Ravindra Jadeja were turned down, Philander has his hands on the hips. Or is it the heat of Mohali that's catching up to the Protea pacer.ÂÂ
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There have been couple of close calls but so far Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja have found life pretty easy on a dead pitch, which seems to have slowed down considerably.
14:50 hrs IST: Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have settled in well post the tea session and are looking to play positive cricket. South Africa for their part haven't really attacked like they did in the previous two sessions so far.ÂÂ
Proteas have started off with spin and pace combination with Imran Tahir and Vernon Philander starting off the proceedings.
In Sharjah, Pakistan have wrapped up a 2-0 series win over England. With the win, they have climbed up to No 2 in the Test rankings.  ÂÂ
14:40 hrs IST: Meanwhile in Sharjah, Yasir Shah strikes for Pakistan as he removes Stuart Broad for 20. England 145/8 after 59 overs ÂÂ
14:15 hrs IST: TEA! It's tea time here in Mohali with India reeling at 168-7. Birthday-boy Virat Kohli must be disappointed with the batting failures. South Africa on the other hand, must be delighted considering a part-time spinner Dean Elgar has chipped in with crucial wickets on a pitch that is definitely assisting spinners.
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Another good session for South Africa as they picked up crucial wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha and Amit Mishra. Elgar has been the star of the show so far picking up 4-22 from 8 overs.
13:59 hrs IST: It's clearly not the ideal birthday Virat Kohli would have hoped for. First he flops with the bat and now his team reeling against spinners. (Virat Kohli's Birthday Turns Sour With Another Flop Show)
13:52 hrs IST: WICKET! Dean Elgar grabs his fourth wicket as he removes aggressive Amit Mishra for 6. Poor shot under the circumstances as he was caught by Dale Steyn at mid-on. Amit Mishra c Dale Steyn b Dean Elgar 6 (8).
Mishra was clearly looking to slog Elgar out of the park. Looked more like a parabola -- one which only got the height not the distance. Dale Steyn hugs and whispers something into Elgar's ears. Perhaps Steyn was asking Elgar as to what he had for lunch.
Wonder what was the theory behind sending Amit Mishra ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin has two Test tons and five half-centuries to his name, while Mishra has a highest score of 84. ÂÂ
13:44 hrs IST: This is interesting! Amit Mishra is promoted ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin. Mishra responds with an ugly looking off the second ball he faced. Luckily for him, the ball crashed on to his pads, giving him enough time to get back into his crease.ÂÂ
13:34 hrs IST: WICKET! Simon Harmer gets his name in the wickets coloumn as he removes Murali Vijay for 75.  Murali Vijay  LBW Simon Harmer 75 (136).
Murali Vijay was looking to dominate the spinners, but this time he looks to sweep only to miss it and was adjudged LBW by Richard Kettleborough. Vijay is not happy with the decision. Batting has let India down once again and this time round its the spinners who are wreaking havoc on the hosts.ÂÂ
13:21 hrs IST: Rahat Ali ends Adil Rashid's resistance for 22. A hit of reverse swing, as the ball crashed on to the off-stump, much to the delight of the Pakistan fielders. The hosts sniffing an outright win perhaps! Meanwhile, Alastair Cook is fighting a lone battle with a half-century from 142 balls. ÂÂ
13:06 hrs IST: Just in: It's stumps in Brisbane with Australia sitting pretty at 389/2 against New Zealand on Day 1. David Warner sizzled with an enterprising 163, while Usman Khawaja is unbeaten on 102.ÂÂ
13:05 hrs IST: WICKET! Dean Elgar makes it two in two as he removes Wriddhiman Saha for a duck. Wriddhiman Saha c Hashim Amla b Dean Elgar 0 (1)
Who needs Imran Tahir when Dean Elgar's golden arm is working for South Africa. Part-time left-arm spinner has picked up Ajinkya Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha off consecutive balls as India are in deep trouble. Meanwhile, Murali Vijay laboured his way to his 12th half-century courtesy of a boundary off Elgar.   ÂÂ
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13:00 hrs IST: WICKET! Dean Elgar's strikes again as he removes Ajinkya Rahane for 15 . Rahane tried to hit one through covers only to edge it to Hashim Amla in slips. Ajinkya Rahane c Hashim Amla b Dean Elgar 15 (48)
12:50 hrs IST: Murali Vijay is just three runs away from a well-deserved half-century. South Africa have fallen back on spin, but no sign of Imran Tahir yet. Meanwhile, Usman Khawaja has completed a brilliant century after two years. This is Khawaja's maiden Test ton.
12:10 hrs IST: Welcome back after the lunch break! Vernon Philander will start the proceedings as Ajinkya Rahane will resume at 3. First up is a length delivery from Philander as Rahane defends off the backfoot. After four more quite balls, Rahane hits his first boundary as he beats mid-on for a boundary to wrap the over with four runs.
11:56 hrs IST: We are just a few minutes away from the second session. In Brisbane, David Warner falls for a magnificent 163 as Australia go from strength to strength. In Sharjah, England are sinking fast as Yasir Shah wrecks the middle order. England are 59/6 in the first session.
11:50 hrs IST: Just in: Rohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Stuart Binny have been released from Test team. They will play Ranji matches for their respective teams.
11:45 hrs IST: Over in Brisbane, New Zealand continue to struggle. David Warner is currently on 163 while Usman Khawaja is on 65. Australia have crossed 300 and New Zealand are struggling with their over-rate.
11:30 hrs IST: That will be lunch on what has been a good session for South Africa. India lost Shikhar Dhawan for 0 in the second over of the day while Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara rebuilt the innings with a solid 63-run partnership. However, Dean Elgar broke the 63-run stand by trapping Pujara LBW for 31. Kagiso Rabada, in his debut match, got rid of birthday-boy Virat Kohli for 1 as India were left tottering. At lunch, they are 82/3 and they will need a supreme effort from the rest of the batsman.
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11:14 hrs IST: WICKET! No big bash birthday celebrations for Virat Kohli! Kagiso Rabada has blown the candles away. Virat Kohli c Elgar b Rabada 1 (4).
Kohli was caught in two minds there. It was a length ball from Rabada and it stopped on the pitch, Kohli looked to flick but looks to leave at the last moment, the ball takes the leading edge and it is snapped up at cover. India 65/3 and in big trouble.
11:08 hrs IST: WICKET! Left-arm orthodox blues for India continue. What a way for the partnership to go. Cheteshwar Pujara LBW Dean Elgar 31 (66).
A part-timer breaks the partnership. How often this has happened in Tests? The golden arm of Dean Elgar produces a wicket. Arm ball from round the wicket and Pujara plays all around it. The ball hits the pad and Elgar appeals, umpire Dharmasena nods in approval. That ball would have hit leg stump.
11:03 hrs IST: While Pujara and Vijay steady India with a steady fifty-plus partnership, in Brisbane, Usman Khawaja has scored a fifty and Warner is going from strength to strength. New Zealand under enormous pressure.
11:00 hrs IST: Unfortunately, Mohali continues to churn out poor crowds for the Tests. There are hardly any spectators at the venue, which has hosted Test cricket for 21 years. Even when Sachin Tendulkar became the highest run-scorer in Tests in 2008 against Australia, there were very few spectators at the venue. Majority were school children and in the backdrop, there were plenty of empty stands. Contrast this to ODIs and Twenty20 internationals, the stands are packed and there is much more vibrancy. Sad state of affairs and things will not improve during the third Test in Jamtha, Nagpur, where crowd attendance has been woeful for Tests.
10:50 hrs IST: The stand between Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay has gone past fifty. India are in a steady position. Meanwhile, Rabada is unleashing a bouncer barrage. India 52/1 after 18 overs.
10:48 hrs IST: Simon Harmer is bowling flat and keeping it stump-to-stump. He is getting some turn as well. Accuracy could be the key for the South African spinners if they are to keep India down.
10:38 hrs IST: Kagiso Rabada concedes a boundary in the first over that he bowls in Test cricket. However, he comes back strongly with some bouncers and is clocking close to 140 kmph. Since the pitch is dead, the bouncer is not proving to be effective. India 42/1 in 14 overs.
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10:31 hrs IST: Loud appeal for an LBW but not given. Sharp spin already for Harmer. Ravichandran Ashwin will be loving this. Vijay plays slightly inside the line and the ball hits him on the back pad. However, the impact was outside off stump. Drinks in Mohali with India 38/1.
10:27 hrs IST: First signs of spin with Simon Harmer coming into the attack. One slip and short leg in place. Harmer has played four Tests and has picked up 10 wickets, including a haul of 4/82 against West Indies in Cape Town in 2015.
10:18 hrs IST: Kagiso Rabada is warming up. Steyn and Philander have bowled a longish spell. Rabada, who is making his Test debut, was the star in the ODI series with 10 wickets in five matches. He ended up as the leading wicket-taker with an average of 24.10.
10:09 hrs IST: Pujara is batting positively while Vijay is hanging in there. Dale Steyn is troubling Vijay with his line and length. Already, with just nine overs into the Test match, the ball is starting to keep low. India 24/1 after nine overs.
09:58 hrs IST: Cheteshwar Pujara is looking in great touch at the moment. He has driven well, unleashed the pull comfortably and has scored three boundaries already. India are 18/1, with Pujara on 13.
09:50 hrs IST: As India look to rebuild after the loss of an early wicket, over at the Gabba, David Warner smashes a magnificent hundred to stamp Australia's dominance in the opening day of their international summer against New Zealand.
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09:40 hrs IST: WICKET! Shikhar Dhawan's poor form continues and South Africa get the early breakthrough. Dhawan c Hashim Amla b Vernon Philander 0 (4).
Poor shot selection and Dhawan's poor run continues. Philander slants a goodish length delivery across outside off and it moves away slightly, Dhawan flashes at it and the edge flies to Amla who puches it at first slip. His exploits of 2013, where he smashed 187 against Australia, are looking very distant at the moment.
09:30 hrs IST: Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay are out in the middle. Dale Steyn will start proceedings. Dhawan will have happy memories of this venue. In 2013, he butchered 187 against Australia and he will be looking to turn his form around. Two slips and a gully in place as Steyn races in.
09:15 hrs IST: We are just 15 minutes away from the match. Meanwhile, at the Gabba, New Zealand have finally struck with Tim Southee removing Joe Burns for 71. Australia are 161/1 and New Zealand will be aiming to make further inroads.
09:00 hrs IST: Virat Kohli wins the toss and opts to bat. Stuart Binny and Rohit Sharma have been left out. Big jolt though for South Africa. Morne Morkel has been ruled out due to injury and Kagiso Rabada makes his Test debut. Here are the playing XIs:
India (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron
South Africa (Playing XI): Dean Elgar, Stiaan van Zyl, Hashim Amla(c), Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, Dane Vilas(w), Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Simon Harmer, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada
08:53 hrs IST: A warm welcome to the first Test between India and South Africa from Mohali. The Proteas, who are the No.1 ranked team in the world, will be looking to continue their dominance on foreign shores while India will be looking to bounce back after losing the Twenty20s and the ODI series. The pitch in Mohali is very dry with lot of cracks. The centre of the pitch is rolled in while the ends are very dry. It is a very dry wicket and spinners will have a field day.
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On Wednesday, NDTV expert Sunil Gavaskar refused to pick a favourite for this series. Having comprehensively won the T20 and ODI series, South Africa are in the right frame of mind to take on India. Gavaskar says they have the "balance" to compete. Of course, the visitors will miss the in-form JP Duminy, who is injured.
Following the ODI humiliation in Mumbai last month, the South Africans whipped MS Dhoni's team by 214 runs after scoring a record 438 for 4 in 50 overs, the Indians seem desperate for a spinning track. The ball could spin from Day 1 in Mohali, generally known to produce sporting wickets .
India's limited pace option means Ravichandran Ashwin will once again be expected to take the bulk of the South African wickets. Ashwin, who has taken 145 wickets from 28 Tests, is known for his guile and control, best exemplified in his 'carrom-ball' which he flicks with his finger.
The South Africans will bank on Dale Steyn's pace. A personal milestone beckons the right-arm paceman, who needs 10 scalps to become the first overseas fast bowler to take 100 Test wickets in Asia, quite a feat in a continent notoriously cold to the quicks.
Statistics also heavily favour the Proteas, currently the top ranked team, who have not lost an overseas Test series since 2007. (Virat Kohli, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers Approach milestones)
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India chances of defying the odds would hinge on their batting but the Indian top order does not sport a stable look yet. Kohli said "the top five batsmen will have to do the job and leave it to the bowlers to win the match." (India vs South Africa: Five Talking Points Ahead of Test Series)
The series will be a battle of wits between two captains with contrasting approach to leadership. If Kohli wears his heart on his sleeve, South Africa captain Hashim Amla belongs to the school that believes in suppressing emotions, if one has any.
Two completely different personalities, they, however, exhibit identical silken touch with the bat and remain the batting mainstays of their respective teams. It's all set up beautifully for a mouth-watering Test series.