Stats: India vs South Africa, 1st Test - The Proteas collapse chasing 218

Jadeja made a fantastic comeback

Indian spinners led the team from the front to defeat the South Africans by 108 runs in the first Test match at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. The hosts now lead the four-match Test series by a 1-0 margin.

The combination of Ravichandran Ashwin and the comeback man Ravindra Jadeja was too hot to handle for the Proteas. They picked a total of 16 South African wickets together. Jadeja was adjudged as the Man-of-the-Match for his 8 wicket haul in the match and an important contribution with the bat in the 1st innings. 

Here are some of the interesting stats from the match: 

153 - Number of wickets Ashwin has in 29 Tests. He became the fastest Indian to clinch 150 wickets milestone going past Prasanna and Kumble who did it in 34 matches.

13 - Number of Tests matches taken by Jadeja to get to his 50th Test wicket - the joint fastest Indian left-arm spinner with Pragyan Ojha and joint 8th fastest left-arm spinner overall.

26 - The sum of the 4 opening partnership stands in this Test match. The lowest in Tests in India is 25 - India vs New Zealand, Brabourne, 1964-65 and India v England, Wankhede, 1981-82.

15 - Number of wickets South Africa spinners took in this match. Only once have their spinners took more - 16 wickets vs Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, 1952-53.

19 - The Mohali Test was only the 2nd time where South Africa had lost 19 wickets to spinners in a Test match. Earlier, against Sri Lanka in 2000.

2 - This was the second Test win for India after getting all out for 201 or less in both innings of the match. First was vs West Indies, Kingston, 2006.

2 - Only two Indian captains have won their first home Test match in three days - MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli - both vs South Africa.

34 - Number of wickets altogether by spinners in the Mohali Test - 4th highest tally of wickets by spinners in a Test match in India.

39 - India lost last eight wickets in the second innings for just 39 runs, this was their worst last eight wickets collapse since losing 8-29 against West Indies at Bridgetown in 1962.

3 - Average opening partnership for India in the last six Test innings; stands of 9, 0, 0, 2, 3, 4.

Brief scores:

India 201 & 200
South Africa 184 & 109/10 (39.5 overs)

India are now 1-0 up in the series against the World number one team and the next match will be played in Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium starting from 14 November.