Nagpur Test: Ashwin & Jadeja Strike, South Africa 11/2 at Stumps
Catch all the latest updates, pictures, stats and reactions from Day 1 of the Nagpur Test between India and SA.
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Tahir Out, Amla In Before Stumps
Just the 9 overs faced by South Africa on Day 1 but India have managed to pick two wickets. Ashwin getting van Zyl and nightwatchman Imran Tahir falling to Ravindra Jadeja.
SA: 11/2 at stumps, trailing India by 204 runs.
South Africa Lose First Wicket
Ashwin’s been given the ball early in the innings and he delivers.
van Zyl lets the ball pick up a thick outside edge off his bat before landing safely into the waiting palms of a smiling Ajinkya Rahane.
South Africa: 4/1, Imran Tahir comes in as night watchman hopefully to stick around for the next 7 overs.
India All Out For 215
Ravi Ashwin and Amit Mishra fall within three deliveries of each other, leaving Ishant Sharma abandoned out in the middle.
India manage 215 in the innings - the highest total of this series but also the lowest in Test matches at the VCA Stadium.
India 1st innings: 215 all out in 78.2 overs.(M Vijay 40, R Jadeja 34; M Morkel 3/35, S Harmer 3/78).
Saha’s Stand Ends
Lots of talk about the need for Saha to step up as a batsman and the keeper manages to delivery today. Well, sort of.
First the partnership with Jadeja and then Ashwin - before the Kolkata keeper is caught by Duminy.
India: 201/8, Saha out for a 106-ball 32
Fun Fact: Saha’s wicket is Simon Harmer’s 250th in First-Class cricket. Also, his third of the match.
Morkel Injured
Morkel bowls the first ball of the 70th over and grimaces.
Not good news for the South Africans, their best fast bowler today is walking off the field with the physio. Replays show he may he picked up a hamstring strain while bowling the last delivery.
Tahir completes the over.
Rabada Takes Out Jadeja
Just when someone looked en route to rescuing India’s innings, Rabada busts the party!
Ravindra Jadeja on 34 watches as his bails are spilled behind him, with a little help from an edge of his bat.
India: 173/7, Ashwin walks in.
India 149/6 at Tea
Ravindra Jadeja (21) and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha (9) are at the crease as the teams go in for tea.
India: 149 for six in 55 overs (M Vijay 40, R Jadeja 21 batting, M Morkel 3/27).
India Lose 6th Wicket - Rohit Sharma
For all the time we had to wait to watch him bat, Rohit Sharma isn’t really falling much in the ‘payback’ zone. The Mumbai batsman has just become Simon Harmer’s second wicket.
Bat meets pad meets AB de Villiers. Out for 2.
India: 125/6
Captain Kohli Goes, India In Trouble
India have officially crossed the ‘in trouble’ point. The skipper is walking back to the dressing room - the fifth wicket of the innings.
Bowled Morkel - slight edge and caught by keeper Vilas.
India: 116/5
Rahane’s Flying Stump
Morne Morkel has got his second wicket here, Ajinkya Rahane castled for 13. The ball connects with the top of his off stump and the bails.
India lose their fourth wicket. Rohit Sharma finally walks out to bat.
India: 115/4
100 Up For India
Kohli faces a maiden over after Pujara’s wicket but Rahane is in the mood to hit a few. A maximum to get India to the 100-run mark. This one comes off 32.2 overs.
How many more will India manage in this innings?
Pujara Out for 21
Another Indian batsman trapped LBW. Simon Harmer gets the first wicket post lunch - Pujara becomes India’s third wicket.
Ajinkya Rahane new man in.
India: 94/3
At Lunch, India 85/2
The first session of the Nagpur Test is up and India have managed to score 85, conceding the wickets of Dhawan and Vijay.
Cheteshwar Pujara and skipper Virat Kohli were batting on 18 and 11 respectively.
India: 85/2 in 27 overs (Murali Vijay 40).
Vijay Joins Dhawan
Morne Morkel in his elements for this one. Traps Vijay LBW and the umpire isn’t even needed here.
India’s highest-scorer this series now returns for for an 84-ball 40. Virat Kohli walks in.
India: 70/2
Fun fact: The last time Morkel got a player out LBW in Test cricket was in October 2013 - 41 wickets ago.
Elgar Gets Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan may be “not out of form” for his skipper but the Delhi batsman has fallen for a 21-ball 12 here in Nagpur.
Dean Elgar is back with his spinning arm. Gets Dhawan one to return it straight to him, a diving catch to the right and South Africa have their first wicket.
Pujara walks in at 3.
India: 50/1
17 After 5 Overs
In the absence of the injured Steyn, its Rabada and Morkel with the new ball here. Three boundaries already as Dhawan and Vijay manage to cross 5 overs with 17 on the board.
Focus on Dhawan
India’s out to bat in Nagpur and we have Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan in the middle. More than a few eyes on Shikhar Dhawan today - he did manage an unbeaten 45 in Bungaluru but the two ducks in Mohali are still fresh in the memory.
His skipper though doesn’t seem to think it’s too much of a cause of concern.
Rohit Finally Gets a Game!
It’s been a long lull after the Bengaluru storm but we finally have Virat Kohli’s team back on our television sets.
The Indian skipper has won the toss and elected to bat first. Makes two changes - Rohit Sharma and Amit Mishra in, Varun Aaron and Stuart Binny are out. Pretty much falls on cue with our guest writer Aakash Chopra’s wishes - read his preview of the third Test here.
Dale Steyn still not fit after injuring his groin in Mohali.
India: Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha†, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma
South Africa: S van Zyl, Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla (capt), AB de Villiers, J P Duminy, Dane Vilas, Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir
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