R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja trample Proteas

For India, Shikhar Dhawan top scored with 39 while Cheteshwar Pujara contributed 31. Rohit Sharma scored 23. For the visiting team, Imran Tahir took five for 38 while Morne Morkel ended with figures of 3/19.

Indian spinners shot out South Africa for a record-low total of 79 to grab a substantial first innings lead before the visitors fought back to reduce the home team to 173.The hosts were ahead of the visitors by 244 runs with five second innings wickets in hand.

India was cruising along nicely at 97 for 2 when Imran Tahir struck quick blows by grabbing three wickets in 11 balls spread over different overs by getting rid of Dhawan, Kohli and Rahane, all of whom fell to poor shots.

Ravichandran Ashwin (5 for 32), Ravindra Jadeja (4 for 33) and Amit Mishra (1 for 9) combined forces to slice through the nervous Proteas’ batting order and shoot them out for their 12th lowest Test score and their worst since readmission to international cricket in the early 1990s. The visitors lost eight wickets in one and a half hours’ batting during which they faced 24.1 overs. The total innings beat the previous low of 84 against India made in Johannesburg in December 2006 as well as the previous lowest in this country of 105 in November 1996. 

None of the Proteas’ batsmen, barring to some extent left handed Jean-Paul Duminy who top-scored with 35 in 65 balls after being let-off twice showed inclination or skill to counter the threat posed by Ashwin and Jadeja. Off-spinner Ashwin bowled unchanged for 16.1 overs from the end opposite to the pavilion to return with his 14th five-wicket haul in an innings in his 31st game.