Shikhar Dhawan cracked seven boundaries to score 45 not out © AFP

Bengaluru: Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin produced superb performances with the ball to hand India the advantage on the opening day of the second cricket Test being played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday.

Jadeja (4-50) and Ashwin (4-70) inflicted the bulk of the damage as the visitors were all out for 214 runs in their first innings.

In reply, openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan saw India off to a steady start. The duo showed good composure and technique to bolster the advantage as the hosts signed off on 80/0 at stumps. The Indians now trail the Proteas by 134 runs.

Dhawan had been going through a slump for the past several matches. But the left-hander finally showed some glimpses of his true calibre as he played well against both pacers and spinners. The feet movement and shot selection were mostly spot on and the Delhi lad also seemed to have regained some of his lost confidence.

He was unbeaten on a well-made 45 at the end of the day’s play, studding his innings with seven boundaries. Vijay was batting on 28 at the other end with five boundaries to his name.

Earlier in the day, the Indian spinners ruled the roost as the South Africans lost wickets at regular intervals before being dismissed for a lowish total. Apart from Jadeja and Ashwin, fast bowler Varun Aarun (1-46) also claimed a wicket.

Opting to bowl first on a moist pitch on winning the toss, skipper Virat Kohli saw his decision vindicated as the Indian pacers troubled the batsmen with swing and movement off the seam. Opening pacers Stuart Binny and Ishant Sharma utilised the conditons to good effect, making it difficult for the Proteas to score.

The South African openers survived a few close calls as the considerable movement offered by the pitch saw them misjudge the line of the delivery on several occassions.

AB de Villiers, who is playing in his 100th Test, was the only South African batsman who adjusted well to the conditions, scoring a well deserved half-century before being sent back to the pavilion by Jadeja. Walking in to huge applause from the crowd, the veteran batsman scored a brisk 85, studding his innings with 11 hits to the fence and a six.

The introduction of Ashwin into the attack produced immediate results as he claimed two wickets in his very first over to give India the advantage. The Chennai off-spinner struck the first blow when left-handed opener van Zyl was trapped leg before with a straight delivery. The lack of spin outfoxed van Zyl, who played for the turn, only to see the ball hit his pads.

Ashwin sent back Faf du Plessis only a couple of balls later with Cheteshwar Pujara taking a fine low catch at forward short leg. It was initially ruled not out by the on-field umpire before the third umpire overruled the decision.

Aaron then compounded South Africa’s misery as he uprooted Hashim Amla’s off-stump when the Proteas’ skipper misjudged the line of a delivery that kept straight after pitching.

Although the arrival of de Villiers increased the scoring rate, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals at the other end.

Dean Elgar, who had survived several close calls, finally saw his luck run out when he was bowled while trying to sweep Jadeja. J.P. Duminy and Dane Vilas did not last long before Jadeja claimed the prized wicket of de Villiers who was caught by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha while attempting a big hit.

After that, it was only a matter of time before the Proteas innings came to an end and the Indians needed only 7.3 overs after the tea break to clean up the South African tailenders.

(IANS)

Bengaluru: An upbeat India will take on a depleted South Africa when the second Test of the ongoing Gandhi-Mandela series gets rolling at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday.

The Proteas have taken a severe blow even before the contest starts as pace spearheads Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander have been ruled out due to injuries. Steyn is yet to recover from a groin strain which he suffered during the opening Test, while Philander injured his ankle in a freak accident during a football game in practice.

The duo did well in the first Test and their absence will be greeted with relief by the Indian batsmen. In their absence, the experienced Morne Morkel and promising youngster Kasigo Rabada will probably share the new ball duties. Rabada has been impressive throughout this tour and has troubled the batsmen with his speed and movement.

Altough the pitch is expected to be spin-friendly, Morkel and Rabada have enough pace and guile to ask tough questions of the batsmen on any surface.

With Steyn and Philander missing out, Kyle Abbott is in line for a call-up and the right-armer will have to step up his game and provide much-needed support in his role as the third seamer.

The city has witnessed a lot of rain over the last few days and dense cloud cover coupled with moisture in the air means that the ball may swing a bit more in the air. The South African pacers may prove to be dangerous in such conditions.

Simon Harmer and the in-form Imran Tahir will be the spearheads in the spin department. J.P. Duminy, who is likely to return to the Test XI after recovering from a cut to the webbing of his hand, is more than useful as a spin option apart from his utility as a top order batsman.

South Africa have a list of worries in the batting departnment as well. Their batsmen proved woefully inadequate on the turning track in Mohali during the first Test. They were bundled out for a mere 108 runs in the second innings as the Indians wrapped up a 109-run victory inside three days.

With the track at the Chinnaswamy Stadium also expected to be helpful for spinners, the visitors may expect another tough battle.

The form of their captain Hashim Amla is also a cause for concern. One of the most technically gifted batsmen in the Proteas squad, Amla managed a total of just 43 runs during the two innings in the opening Test.

The rest of the Proteas line-up packs enough punch in the form of Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, Duminy and Dean Elgar. De Villers — who will appaear in his 100th Test — is familiar with the track thanks to his stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The Indian camp has fewer problems to worry about. Talented off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and leg-spinner Amit Mishra were promising in the opening Test and will be expected to come up with the goods here as well.

With India skipper Virat Kohli’s penchant for a five-pronged bowling attack, rookie allrounder Gurkeerat Singh Mann may be expected to make his Test debut. The Punjab lad has done well with his off-spin in domestic cricket and is a good option if the Indian think tank led by Kohli and team director Ravi Shastri decides to go for an extra spinner.

A middle-order batsman in the Punjab team, Mann is in good form at present, having scored an unbeaten double century in a Ranji Trophy game last month. He has also played as an opener in domestic tournaments.

The pace department has also got a boost since the experienced Ishant Sharma is eligible for selection after serving a one-Test ban. If the Indian team mangement does decide to include him in the playing XI, either Umesh Yadav or Varun Aaron will have to sit out.

One of the few issues of concern for the hosts is the poor form of opener Shikhar Dhawan. But the rest of the batting line-up wears a solid look.

Opener Murali Vijay has done well while the talented Chesteshwar Pujara has been consisted at the No.3 slot. Skipper Virat Kohli Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to form the middle order.

The lower order may also chip in with a useful contribution since both Ashwin and Mishra are also handy with the bat.

(IANS)