India vs South Africa , 2nd Test: Day 1 at SuperSport Park

India effected a dramatic turnaround by taking three wickets for five runs in the last hour to reduce South Africa to 269 for six at stumps on the opening day of the second Test in Centurion. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin snared three crucial wickets as the visitors fought back after the duo of Hashim Amla (82) and Aiden Markram (94) batted resolutely. On a day when the Indian pacers failed to make much of a dent on an easy-paced wicket, Aswhin (3/90) emerged as the most successful bowler as he dismissed Markram (94), Dean Elgar (31) and Quinton de Kock (0).

Earlier, Aiden Markram scored 94 runs as South Africa reached 182/2 at tea. The opener faced 150 balls and hit 15 fours. Post lunch, Markram and Dean Elgar (31) took their opening stand to 85 runs. Ashwin got the breakthrough for India early in the session, albeit it was a lucky dismissal. The hosts were going strong with Amla (82) anchoring the Proteas innings after Markram, playing on his home ground, missed out on a well-deserved century by a whisker.

India then attacked Amla with short stuff as also attempting to lure him outside the off-stump. Jasprit Bumrah (0/57) was unimpressive in this spell, unable to find the right line to attack the batsmen. Post-tea, Amla and AB de Villiers (20) took their third- wicket partnership to 51 runs. South Africa crossed 200 in the 64th over, but not before losing de Villiers as he played on off Ishant Sharma (1-32), who got just reward for his toiling spells. Amla then put on 47 runs with du Plessis, and in doing so, scored his 36th Test half-century off 99 balls. It looked to be a dominant day for the hosts before a mini-collapse came by.

However, two run-outs and a wicket by Ashwin within 13 balls saw South Africa slump from 246/3 to 251/6 as India sought to wrest control of the match while somewhat masking a couple of questionable selections in the playing XI. First, in the 81st over, Amla was run-out against the run of play, getting mixed up with du Plessis as he set off for a single but Hardik Pandya (0-37) found the target on the non- striker's end off his bowling. Two balls later, Ashwin dismissed Quinton de Kock for a golden duck, caught at slip.

South Africa had crossed 100 in the 36th over, and their 150 came up in the 47th. Amla, batting on 30 then, was lucky to survive as Parthiv Patel dropped him off Ishant in the 51st over, the ball going down leg side after the batsman edged it. The new ball bowlers failed to create any chances, and Ishant came on as first-change in the 8th over. He immediately troubled Elgar and continued to do so throughout his first spell. India made three changes to their eleven, with KL Rahul replacing Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma coming in for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, which attracted widespread criticism from former players.