12 WICKETS ON DAY 1
THE COLLAPSE On a rank turner, India batsmen are caught out by part-time spinner Elgar on the first day of Mohali Test
South Africa bowled India out for 201 — Murali Vijay top-scoring with 75 — on Day 1 of the first Test in Mohali. The hosts hit back with visitors ending the day at 28/2.
MOHALI: After the promise of a high-octane contest against the backdrop of swelling hype, Day 1 at Mohali proved anti-climactic on a pitch that let down the game of cricket. If this is the kind of cricket India had promised itself to play, then it showed incoherence with the team having projected an aggressive approach. India, however, cannot be entirely blamed for that on a pitch where even Dale Steyn looked pace-impaired. The ball staying shin high in the third over of the day was a giveaway on how the day would unfold.
The demand for a turner can have a damaging effect, and India must consider itself lucky they batted first and suffered the lesser damage. A deeper uncertainty awaits South Africa on Day 2. While modern day cricket is challenging the old order, run rate hovering below 3 per over from the morning till beyond tea, left the scant Mohali crowd watching 80s cricket. The South Africa innings stuttered even more with a run rate of less than two. Edges and nudges ruled the day, and the tweakers were beaming all day. UNLIKELY OPTION South Africa are normally not comfortable bowling Dean Elgar’s left-arm spin even in ODIs. But in Elgar they found their own Michael Clarke, of Mumbai, 2004 (He took six for nine runs bowling left-arm spin, although India won that Test). Skipper Hashin Amla had on match eve said he would miss JP Duminy, especially his off-spin. But part-timer Elgar shook the Indian batting with four wickets. South Africa’s best spin bet Imran Tahir wasn’t even introduced till the 44th over.
Kohli was lucky to win the toss on his 27th birthday. Shikhar Dhawan perished to a nothing slash. Cheteshwar Pujara was reviving the innings with Murali Vijay. His pulls, punches and whips through mid-wicket as well as offering a dead bat temporarily suggested that he was getting into his groove. That was until he played the wrong line to an armer from Elgar to be trapped in front.
Kohli had dismissed the debate around the pitch on the eve of the Test. He would have to revisit his opinion after Kagiso Rabada got him. There was a sense of disbelief as he left wondering whether it was the pitch or he had played too early. Elgar returned to inflict a double blow, dismissing Ajinkya Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha off consecutive deliveries. Vijay had got a hang of the wicket by playing the waiting game. Feet moving and playing late from the crease, his three flowing drives through covers underlined his special knock. Stepping out boldly to spinners on the tricky pitch (75 – 203m, 136b, 12x4), his innings was cut short playing the sweep against Harmer.
India’s turner fixation left one wondering whether it was an unplayable pitch or whether their batsmen had forgotten how to play spin. In either case, India can’t complain. And regardless of the wickets taken by spinners, the pitch will continue to make the loudest noise.
This is not a good test pitch though it’s a result-oriented one. We sort of expected it to play like that but didn’t expect it to crumble so early. DEAN ELGAR, who took four wickets