India vs South Africa 3rd Test in Jamtha, Nagpur Highlights: Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja Strike After Hosts Score 215
South Africa were reduced to 11/2 at the close of play on Day 1 of Nagpur Test. Earlier, Simon Harmer picked four wickets to dismiss India for 215. Read all highlights of the first day here
Indian spinners picked two quick wickets as South Africa were on 11/2, after dismissing Virat Kohli and Co. for 215, on the first day of the third Test in Nagpur on Wednesday. (SCORECARD | NEWS | VIDEOS)
17:00 hrs IST: Spinners ruled the roost in Jamtha as 12 wickets fell on Day 1. Simon Harmer picked four for 78 to dismiss India for 215. But Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja struck back to remove opener Stiaan van Zyl and night-watchman Imran Tahir respectively.ÂÂ
Earlier, Indian batsmen gave a poor account of themselves with Murali Vijay (40) being the top-scorer. At one stage the hosts were reduced to 125 for six before Wriddhiman Saha (32) and Ravindra Jadeja (34) steadied ship to take India past the 200-run mark. Morne Morkel proved his mettle once again as he cleaned the Indian top-order but had to leave the field after suffering an injury.
The hosts on the other hand would be happy with the way Ashwin and Jadeja made early inroads. Though the total of 215 may look small, but according to former India captain Anil Kumble it is enough to cause trouble. "The Jamtha wicket is slow and turning and South Africa would face huge difficulty in tackling Indian spinners. The hosts are playing with three spinners and it will be a tough challenge for the Proteas," he said after the day's play.
16:57 hrs IST: South Africa lose no more wickets as they end Day 1 on 11/2.
16:48 hrs IST: WICKET! Ravindra Jadeja clean bowls night-watchman Imran Tahir. The ball was pitched on middle stump and it turned to rattle the off-stump. Tahir b Jadeja 4 (12)
16:44 hrs IST: Imran Tahir survives a scare. A big appeal for stumping off Ashwin's bowling. On-field umpires refers it to TV umpire who gives him not out, much to the surprise of the Indians.
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16:40 hrs IST: Ravindra Jadeja comes to bowl from the other end and has a huge appeal against Dean Elgar. Umpire Bruce Oxenford shows not interest. With two spinners, can India get another wicket on Day 1?
16:34 hrs IST: WICKET! Ashwin strikes in his second over as he gets a thick edge off van Zyl, who is caught by Rahane at first slip. The Indian bowler is extracting turn from the pitch as he bowls a maiden-wicket over. van Zyl c Rahane b Ashwin 0 (7)
16:26 hrs IST: Ravichandran Ashwin comes to bowl. The ace spinner has been in terrific form and Viart Kohli would hope that his trusted aide gives an early breakthrough to the hosts.
16:20 hrs IST: South African openers out on the field. Will India be to make early inroads before close of play on Day 1?
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16:15 hrs IST: India dismissed for 215 in the first innings. Opting to bat first, the hosts' openers gave a good start. But after Dhawan's dismissal it was a total collapse. Murali Vijay was the top-scorer with a 84-ball 40. Towards the end, Saha and Jadeja were involved in a 48-run partnership which helped India cross the 200-run mark. Harmer was South Africa's best bowler with figures of 4/78. Morne Morkel, who limped off the field with a injury, had figures of 3/35.  ÂÂ
16:10 hrs IST: WICKET! India all out after Amit Mishra was trapped plumb in front of the wicket by Harmer. The off-spinner bowled a flatter one round the stumps which caught Mishra playing on the back foot. Mishra lbw Harmer 3 (9)
16:07 hrs IST: WICKET! Ravichandran Aswin gone after being bowled by Tahir. This is his 50th Test wicket Ashwin b Tahir 15 (44)
16:03 hrs IST: The floodlights are on at the Jamtha Stadium. Will India be bowled out to day or they will live to fight another day?ÂÂ
15:55 hrs IST: Some nervy moments out there for Indian tail-enders. Vilas misses a chance to stump Ashwin off Harmer, after the batsman ran down only to miss the line of the ball completely.ÂÂ
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15:45 hrs IST: WICKET! Saha dismissed by Harmer after JP Duminy takes a brilliant catch. Saha runs down and flicks towards mid-wicket, as Duminy jumps towards left to take a superb catch. Saha c Duminy b Harmer 32 (106)
 15:44 hrs IST: India cross 200-run mark. Saha hits a four off Harmer to take India to a decent total after being reduced to 125/6 at one stage.
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15:32 hrs IST: Big set-back for South Africa as Morne Morkel limps off the field. The pacer, who has been the Proteas' best bowler today, was grimacing in pain and has been taken off. Morkel's figures for today are 3/35.
15:27 hrs IST: As India battle to go past 200 in the first innings, another acid Test is coming up in Adelaide on Friday - the first-ever day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand. Read more about it hereÂÂ
15:20 hrs IST: Saha and Ashwin the last proper batsmen out there for India. They would hope to add as much runs as possible to the scoreboard. But Tahir, who has got only few overs so far, is extracting huge turn from the Jamtha pitch.ÂÂ
15:13 hrs IST: Huge respite there as next batsman Ravichandran Ashwin survives a stumping appeal. Ashwin tries to hit Tahir's delivery and gets beaten, but is able to reach the pitch in time.ÂÂ
15:08 hrs IST: BIG WICKET! Jadeja, who was looking steady, is bowled by Rabada. It was a full, wide delivery as Jadeja tried to drive through the covers, but instead the ball takes the inside edge and hits the stumps. Jadeja b Rabada 34 (54)
15:05 hrs IST: Dropped! Saha edges off Rabada to but it falls just short of Vilas. And then there is a huge appeal for a LBW against Jadeja. Bit of problem there for the Indian duo as they near 50-run partnership. ÂÂ
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14:50 hrs IST: While Saha and Jadeja struggle in the middle, the more recognised Indian batsmen would be pondering about what went wrong there. The most important question is - What's Wrong With Virat Kohli's Batting Technique? Sunil Gavaskar gives the answers. ÂÂ
14:45 hrs IST: Morkel continues from other end and gets no respect from Jadeja. The Indian all-rounder hits him for a four. He can't score another run in the over though.ÂÂ
14:38 hr IST: Imran Tahir comes from the other end and gets hit for a four by Saha. This is only the third over for Tahir and the Indian batsmen have played him rather easily so far.
14:32 hrs IST: And we're back for the third session of Day 1 in Nagpur. Morne Morkel in attack as he looks to cause further damage. The South African bowls a maiden.ÂÂ
14:10 hrs IST: Jadeja on the counter-attack as he hits Duminy for a four in the 55th over. And it's tea, with India on 149/6.
It has been a mixed session with South Africa having a slight edge. India have scored 64 runs and lost four important wickets in the second session. Harmer and Morkel have dealt deadly blows which forced India to back-foot. But towards the end of the session, Jadeja and Saha have shown patience and grit to deal with South African bowlers.ÂÂ
It would be interesting to see how the Indians fare in the third session as the pitch is getting increasingly difficult to bat on. On a pitch which is assisting spinners, Morkel has been the pick of South African bowlers with figures of 3/27.ÂÂ
14:06 hrs IST: JP Duminy gets his first over as pitch looks dangerous to bat on. Saha almost edges to Amla, at leg slip, but it's a missed chance.
13:56 hrs IST: A big appeal for LBW there from Kagiso Rabada against Ravindra Jadeja. But the ball was missing leg-stump as umpire Bruce Oxenford shows no interest.
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13:54 hrs IST: Surprisingly South Africa has given two overs to Imran Tahir and none to JP Duminy. Probably, Hashim Amla is giving Morkel, Rabada, Elgar and Harmer an extended period to inflict more damage to India.
13:49 hrs IST: So far Jadeja and Saha have shown the patience to wait for the loose delivery. The former is playing Harmer, who has picked two wickets so far, well and hits him through cover to a boundary ÂÂ
13:43 hrs IST: Ravindra Jadeja comes in and hits Harmer for a boundary. A lot depends on him and Saha now as after them only R Ashwin is the only other Indian player who can bat properly.  ÂÂ
13:34 hrs IST: WICKET! Rohit Sharma dismissed by Harmer. The Indian batsman fails to judge the amount of spin in the delivery, which was pitched on the leg, and inside edges to leg-slip. A typical bat-pad dismissal. South Africans have smelt blood and the way they appealed showed that. Rohit c De Villiers b Harmer 2 (28)
13:28 hrs IST: While India and South Africa vie for glory in the sub-continent, history will be made Down Under on Friday as Australia play New Zealand in the first-ever Day-Night Test in Adelaide. Read what India captain Virat Kohli thinks about it.ÂÂ
13:22 hrs IST: That was close. Wriddhiman Saha edges off Kagiso Rabada but the ball falls just short of wicketkeeper Dane Vilas. Both Saha and Rohit need to be more careful.ÂÂ
13:17 hrs IST: Living dangerously! Rohit Sharma is having trouble dealing with Morne Morkel's pace and swing. Goes for a slog and completely misses the line of the delivery. Big gap between bat and pad and the ball sneaks in.  ÂÂ
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13:07 hrs IST: With India's top-order gone, the onus now lies on Rohit Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha to take the hosts to a decent total. After them a lot would depend on Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
13:02 hrs IST: WICKET! Virat Kohli Gone! Morkel Morkel is on fire today as he picks his third wicket. The South African pacer gets to move the ball away from the India captain who edges it to wicketkeeper Dane Vilas. Kohli c Vilas b Morkel 22 (55)
12:59 hrs IST: Rohit Sharma comes in to bat. He is the extra batsmen that India opted for in place of Stuart Binny. It's time for him to deliver as India are on 115/4
12:53 hrs IST: WICKET! Ajinkya Rahane falls cheaply as he is beaten by Morne Morkel to be clean bowled. The South African's delivery cuts in sharply and Rahane misses it. Rahane b Morkel 13 (25)
12: 49 hrs IST: Virat Kohli is playing the dangerous Morne Morkel pretty smartly. He defends the first four balls in the 36th over, and pounces upon the odd-loose ball to hit a boundary through gully.
12:42 hrs IST: While Virat Kohli and Co. sweat it out in Nagpur, India ODI and T20I captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is having a gala time with his Indian Super League team Chennaiyin FC defeating Delhi Dynamos 4-0.
12:35 hrs IST: Ajinkya Rahane starts on an attacking note as he hits Simon Harmer for a six in the 33rd over. The amount of turn that this pitch is offering on Day 1 will make Indian bowlers smile in the dressing room.
12: 29 hrs IST: Ajinkya Rahane comes in at No. 4. He averages close to 47 overseas but in India his average is only six! Big opportunity for the Mumbai batsman.
12:25 hrs IST: WICKET! Cheteshwar Pujara found plumb in front of the wicket by Simon Harmer. The ball spun towards middle and leg and the Indian batsman could not deal with it. Pujara LBW Harmer 21 (43)
12:11 hrs IST: We're back for the post-lunch session. Will it be the Indian batsmen's grit or Morne Morkel and Co.'s guile that will prevail?ÂÂ
11:56 hrs IST: The spell by Morkel brought back memories of Steyn's spell at this venue in 2010. However, that was a much better wicket than this one.
11:30 hrs IST: That will be lunch and India will be slightly relieved. Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara have survived a testing spell from Morne Morkel, who has bowled a magnificent spell before lunch. Overall, it has been an even session with Murali Vijay playing well but Morkel has given South Africa an opening here.
11:27 hrs IST: Brilliant battle going on between Kohli and Morkel. The fast bowler continues to beat him with a leg-cutter at over 140 kmph, however, the batsman responds with a crisp drive to deep extra cover.
11:18 hrs IST: This is a brilliant spell of bowling from Morne Morkel. He is troubling Virat Kohli immensely bowling immaculately in that channel outside off. Meanwhile, as this Test picks up intensity, in a couple of days time, history will be created in Adelaide. You can read about it here.
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11:08 hrs IST: WICKET! Brilliant from Morne Morkel. That is a wonderful ball and Vijay has no answer. Vijay LBW Morne Morkel 40 (84).
Morne Morkel lands this delivery on a good length and keeps it on the stumps, the ball darts away late and Vijay looks to work it to the leg side, he gets beaten by the away movement and gets hit on the back pad, umpire Ian Gould had no hesitation in raising the finger. That ball would have hit middle stump. India 69/2 and are in need of rebuilding.
10:59 hrs IST: Morne Morkel is back into the attack. First ball, Pujara leaves a ball that is perilously close to the off stump. India's progress has been stalled slightly after the wicket of Dhawan. With the ball getting soft as overs go by, stroke-making is proving to be difficult.
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10:50 hrs IST: Nagpur remembers nostalgia and is sensing a bit of history in the making. This venue has given India some moments in their Test history. Take a look.
10:45 hrs IST: Imran Tahir is into the attack and he is causing plenty of problems. There is a puff of dust exploding off the track as the ball lands near the off stump. Honestly, it is home advantage but this is already looking like a very poor Test match track.
10:39 hrs IST: WICKET! Dhawan and Vijay had notched up their second consecutive opening stand but the left-hander throws it away. Dhawan c and b Dean Elgar 12 (23).
That is a poor shot from Dhawan. He charges down the track and looks to drive a tossed up delivery down the ground but he fails to get to the pitch of the ball, Dhawan goes through with the shot and drills it to the right of Elgar who takes the catch diving to his right. India are 50/1.
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10:32 hrs IST: Drinks in Nagpur and India have dominated the first session thoroughly. The pace bowlers are not getting enough out of this wicket and this will frustrate Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada. The fact that they are playing with just two pace bowlers shows how the conditions have dictated their fortunes.
10:25 hrs IST: Vijay tried to loft Harmer down the ground the first time but he gets an inside edge that goes past the keeper. Second time, he makes solid connection and launches him into the stands at long on. However, Harmer gets his revenge with the last ball when he beats Dhawan with a beauty off an off-break.
10:18 hrs IST: Dean Elgar is into the attack before Imran Tahir. South Africa actually have four-spinning options in their team. Apart from Tahir and Harmer, there is Elgar and Duminy who can roll his arm over. In the first Test, Elgar picked up 4/22 and immediately, he is getting plenty of turn.
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10:13 hrs IST: Consecutive fours from Vijay off Rabada and he is motoring along. This could be the end of Rabada's spell for the time being. Simon Harmer, the offspinner, is into the attack in the ninth over.
10:10 hrs IST: Dale Steyn put in a magnificent show in the previous match between India and South Africa in Nagpur in 2010. Bowling with pace, swing and reverse swing, Steyn finished with 7/51 to dismantle India. His injury, combined with Amla's poor form, has really hurt South Africa in this tour.
10:02 hrs IST: Vijay is driving on the up and Dhawan is easily able to handle the short ball. There is no assistance from the fast bowlers and it is upto the likes of Imran Tahir and Simon Harmer to stem the flow of runs.
09:53 hrs IST: Short leg is in now and Morkel goes for the short ball. However, with the pitch being too slow, Vijay stays on the back foot and pummels the pull shot to deep mid wicket. India have moved to 17/0 in the fifth over. No pace, no bounce on this track. Long hours of toil for South Africa.
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09:50 hrs IST: Two scoring shots behind the wicket now. Dhawan got off the mark with boundary to third man, now he pulls Rabada to fine leg. He is looking in decent touch.
09:45 hrs IST: Nasty moment for Vijay. Morkel gets one delivery to climb up awkwardly from a short of a length and Vijay gets hit on the forearm. Dhawan faces the last ball and he steers it wide of gully to get off the mark with a boundary.
09:40 hrs: Kagiso Rabada starts from the other end. Two slips and a gully for him as well. His speed is in the low 140s but Vijay is playing him nicely off the backfoot.
09:36 hrs IST: A good first over from Morkel. He gets some good bounce and some movement of the seam. There was a stifled appeal for a catch but umpire Ian Gould is unmoved.
09:31 hrs IST: Morne Morkel to start the Test. Two slips and a gully in place. Murali Vijay to take strike. Both he and Shikhar Dhawan shared a wonderful partnership in Bangalore before rain stopped the match. Will they do the same this time?
09:25 hrs IST: It is good to see Virat Kohli being flexible. He has opted for the buffer of the sixth batsman in Rohit and has picked three spinners on this surface. The team composition looks good.
09:12 hrs IST: This is the fifth Test match that India are playing in Nagpur. In the previous four, India have won two, drawn one and lost one. Their two wins are against Australia in 2008 and New Zealand in 2010, while the loss was against South Africa in 2010 and the draw was against England in 2012.
09:00 hrs IST: On a bone dry pitch, India have already gained the advantage by winning the toss and opting to bat. It is going to be survival of the fittest in the fourth innings. Two changes for India. Amit Mishra replaces Varun Aaron while Rohit Sharma replaces Stuart Binny. India are going with three spinners on this surface. For South Africa, Simon Harmer replaces Kyle Abbott. Hashim Amla said that he is hopeful of Dale Steyn regaining fitness for the Delhi Test. Here are playing XIs:
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha(wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma
South Africa: Stiaan van Zyl, Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla(captain), AB de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Dane Vilas(wicketkeeper), Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir
08:56 hrs IST: The first look of the pitch in Nagpur is absolutely shocking. There are plenty of cracks and the surface is looking bone dry. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are all set to have a field day. Anil Kumble, who is a commentator for Star Sports, may well be tempted to come out of retirement and bowl on this deck. Who knows, he could pick up all 20 wickets in this match, such is the nature of the track.
08:52 hrs IST: South Africa, and in particular, Hashim Amla will have fond memories of Nagpur. In 2010, Amla notched up a magnificent 253 and Dale Steyn picked up 7/51 in a masterclass of swing bowling to give the Proteas an innings victory. This time, however, India hold all the aces.
08:45 hrs IST: A warm welcome for the third Test between India and South Africa from sunny Jamtha in Nagpur. South Africa will be desperate to come back in this series but they will be facing an uphill challenge. With no Dale Steyn for this match and with most of the batsmen struggling against Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, the situation does not look good for the Proteas. On the other hand, India will be aiming to seal a series win.
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Preview
After South Africa crashed to a humiliating defeat inside three days on a spin-friendly pitch in the first Test at Mohali, considerable attention is being paid to the wicket in Jamtha. Just like Mohali, Nagpur has been kind to pacers, but indications are to the contrary this time.
Against 17 taken by pacers this season, spinners have claimed 44 wickets in two first-class games at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium at Jamtha. Virat Kohli, a win away from his first series win as India captain at home, will once again back his spinners to do the damage.
South Africa will have to fight India's spin demons, mentally and skillfully. The visitors, who beat India in Nagpur in 2010, have been psyched out by the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
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Fighting India's spin demons
The Proteas have lost the spin battle in their minds. Batting mainstay and skipper Hashim Amla and the experience Faf du Plessis are yet to find their feet in this Test series. Barring AB De Villiers, whose 100th Test in Bangalore was washed away by the rains, and a gutsy Dean Elgar, the South African batting has looked weak.
With a limited quality spin arsenal, South Africa will bank on their pacers to deliver. But the Proteas are sweating over Dale Steyn's fitness and ironically, Steyn's 7 for 51 in first innings of 2010 Nagpur Test are the best by an overseas pacer in India in last 19 years.
The odds are clearly stacked against the South Africans. For Kohli and team, this is the best time to improve India's Test record in Nagpur.