India win mind games in Mohali

India win mind games in Mohali

India are gloating and the South Africans are smarting after the first Test in Mohali ended on the third afternoon with India winning by a significant margin of 108 runs in what was a low scoring encounter.

Winning the toss and batting first on a parched looking pitch with cracks, was a huge psychological advantage for Virat Kohli and his men. The hosts needed to produce a good performance in the Tests to boost the shattered confidence after losses in the T20 and one-day series.

Most tourists invariably expect grass-less turners and it was no different this time as the South Africans, having come off a successful limited overs campaign in the T20’s and one-day series, saw a surface that didn’t surprise them in the least.

For the visitors, a first look at that pitch seemed to put them into negative frame of mind. That they were able to dismiss India for a lowly 201 was encouraging and more so as the part-time left-arm spin of Dean Elgar managed to grab 4 wickets in 12 overs. He was interestingly brought on before Imran Tahir and this proved a master-stroke from Hashim Amla. The captain sensed that the left-arm spin was difficult to handle and persisting with Elgar proved the Indian batsmen’s downfall.

South Africa’s record against spin and on spinning tracks is better than most touring teams in recent times. Batsmen in both teams lacked application and more importantly, to read the match situation and playing accordingly. A number of aspects come to mind; South Africa last played a Test series against Bangladesh earlier this year and the batsmen failed to impress against a much improved and competent attack. South Africa were found chasing the game. So no lessons were garnered from that unfinished series where just over six days out of ten was lost due to incessant rain.

India on the other hand have not played a home Test in two years. It doesn’t help that their schedulers lean so heavily towards the limited overs game. So both teams looked stuck in the limited overs mentality. Spinners accounted for 34 of the 40 wickets in Mohali and most of them did a fine job on a pitch that looked more dangerous than it actually was. The key to most dismissals in this Test was that the batsmen in both teams were out straight deliveries, playing for the turn instead of reading the ball out the hand.

The hosts failed to capitalise after electing to bat first and only opener Murali Vijay with a patient and intelligently compiled 75 in 202 minutes held sway as all around him crumbled. Imran Tahir grabbed two wickets and Simon Harmer accounted for Vijay, resulting in seven wickets falling to spin. The Indians were obviously disappointed with their overall performance with the bat, but the maxim to not judge the wicket until both teams have batted proved true.

The South Africans were now wearier after the knowledge that their spinners dominated the Indian batsmen. So instead of being positive, they went into a shell and allowed the spin triumvirate of Ravi Ashwin (5/51), Ravi Jadeja (3/55) and Amit Mishra (2/35) to completely bamboozle them and ended conceding a 17 run lead. Most failed to apply themselves and were out to shots of uncharacteristic indecisiveness.  

Vijay (47) played confidently once again and shared an 86 run second wicket partnership with Chetashwar Pujara (77) and followed with a 66 run stand with skipper Kohli (29). Then the hosts suffered a calamitous collapse and wilted under the pressure with speculative shots, losing 7 wickets for 39 runs with Tahir and Harmer grabbing four wickets apiece.

South Africa failed to ram home the advantage again when they were reduced to 10 for 3. Vernon Philander promoted to open, fell to a straight delivery from Jadeja, Faf Du Plessis edged to slip and Amla shouldered arms to a ball that pitched on middle and hit middle stump. A deeper malaise descended on the rest of South Africa’s batting after A B De Villiers played on when playing back to a tossed up delivery and the team was beyond salvage.

Kohli shuffled his bowling with dexterity as he watched the remaining batsmen also capitulate to straight deliveries. He sensed the South Africans losing faith. Ashwin proving to be more than a handful and in the end a match-winner.

So how will the visitors counter the spinners on pitches that are destined to be shaven bare?

Stand on an off-stump guard perhaps; by studying footage and be able to read Jadeja and Ashwins arm-ball? They need to be reminded that there is ample time in Tests and that winning Test matches requires courage and deep resourceful thinking. It may be a slight simpler, if they just win the toss!