1st Test: Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami shine as India thrash South Africa, take 1-0 lead

Visakhapatnam: Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets in one over as India thrashed South Africa by 203 runs to win the first Test here in Visakhapatnam on Sunday (October 6) and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series for the Gandhi-Mandela Trophy.

As this series is part of the World Test Championship, India collected 40 points for their success. Now, they lead the table with 160 points. They had claimed 120 points from the tour of West Indies where they completed a 2-0 whitewash over the hosts. The Virat Kohli-led Indian side are unbeaten so far in the World Test Championship, having won all their three matches.

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On the fifth and final day, Proteas batsmen had no answers to Indian bowlers, led by Mohammed Shami (5/35) and Jadeja (4/87). The duo shared nine wickets between them. Chasing 395 for victory, the visitors were bowled out for 191 in the second session.

Resuming at their overnight score of 11/1, South Africa lost Theunis de Bruyn (10) to Ravichandran Ashwin in the second over of the day. This was Ashwin’s 350th Test wicket, joint fastest to the milestone along with Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan.

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After Ashwin struck, it was Shami who scalped three wickets in a superb spell of fast bowling. Shami dismissed Temba Bavuma and first innings centurion Quinton de Kock for ducks and in between the two wickets he had sent back captain Faf du Plessis (13). All three batsmen were bowled.

In the 27th over of the innings, Jadeja took three wickets, Aiden Markram (39), Vernon Philander (0) and Keshav Maharaj (0) as the Proteas were reeling at 70/8.

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Senuran Muthusamy and Dane Piedt fought back as the latter played some attacking shots against Jadeja on way to register his half century. They helped the team take lunch at 117/8.

In the post lunch session, Shami returned to break the frustrating 91-run stand as he added his fourth wicket, another bowled, to remove Piedt (56). Shami claimed his fifth wicket as he dismissed last man Kagiso Rabada caught by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha to end the contest. South Africa were bowled out for 191 in 63.5 overs. Shami returned with figures of 5/35 in 10.5 overs.

The second Test starts in Pune on October 10 and final one is in Ranchi from October 19.