Before the start of the first day’s play, as the Indian and South African teams were warming-up, Sunil Gavaskar termed the pitch at the PCA Stadium as strange - ‘like a Mohali pitch he had never seen before’. When the cameras zoomed in for the customary pitch report, a dry wicket, which had already developed cracks at the pavilion end, was broadcast across television sets. At the toss both captains called the wicket ‘good’. But by evening this opinion would have changed. India batted first after winning the toss. Hashim Amla said he would have done the same. Batting last on a wicket in India is treacherous territory. Mohali, going by the 12 wickets that fell by stumps on Day One, has enough demons in it to give batters a sleepless night. WATCH Day 1 review: Caught in a spin web (App users click here) South Africa’s Dean Elgar, the biggest beneficiary of the turner rolled out on Day One, finished with a career-best of four for 22. Elgar got a taste of how difficult it was to bat on this wicket but remained unbeaten on 13 off 59 deliveries. However, after witnessing the fall of wickets, including that of two of his teammates, Elgar didn’t mince words when he was asked to describe the first day’s pitch. “Honestly, I do not think it’s a very good cricket wicket. I think it’s a result-wicket which is expected when you come here. And we knew that it is going to be very different than what it used to be here. Yeah, it’s not a very good wicket but it’s a result wicket which can go either way,” Elgar said. However, on more than one occasion during the media briefing Elgar was asked about the nature of the wicket. “Back to the wicket again. It is obviously like a Day Four wicket. When I batted on Day One in Sri Lanka it was not like that,” said the South African opener who had taken just six wickets in 17 Tests with his left-arm spin before this game. In fact, Elgar was handed the ball by South Africa skipper Hashim Amla ahead of established leg-spinner Imran Tahir. He dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane in his first three overs. Elgar made life difficult for the Indian batsmen because of his flight but he did get assistance from the wearing pitch. “Fortunately, the wicket had broken quite a bit and there was really quite a rough patch, which I tried hitting. I just think that there was a period when Hash (Hashim Alma) thought I can burgle a wicket and obviously it worked in the team’s favour. We expected the wicket to crumble. When I batted, it was bit difficult to judge the pace at the wicket and we have to sweat it out on Day Two,” Elgar said.
