Seamers dominate on green Jo'Burg pitch

Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara hit half-centuries for India but South Africa's fast bowlers dominated the first day of the third and final Test at the Wanderers Stadium.

India were bowled out for 187 despite contrasting innings of 54 by Kohli and 50 by Pujara.

South Africa were 1-6 at the close.

Kohli and Pujara put on 84 for the third wicket but there were no other major partnerships. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who made 30 batting at No.8, was the only other Indian to reach double figures.

South Africa picked a five-pronged pace attack and the Indian batsmen were under pressure all day on a pitch that offered pace and sideways movement.

All five bowlers took wickets; Kagiso Rabada took 3-39, while Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Andile Phehlukwayo took two apiece and Lungi Ngidi only took the key wicket of Kohli, who was caught at third slip by AB de Villiers.

Kohli won the toss and decided to bat on a hard, well-grassed pitch in cool, overcast conditions. Both teams selected all-seam attacks, with no spinner in either team.

As in the first two Tests, Kohli was batting early in the innings after both openers were dismissed inside the first nine overs.

While Pujara played a dogged, defensive innings, Kohli attacked when the bowlers strayed in line or length.

Pujara took 54 balls to score his first run, the breakthrough sparking Bronx cheers from the crowd and applause from his teammates, while the right-hander smiled sheepishly in acknowledging the 'milestone'.

Image Id: A130A6E9402941AC9AE60614B15F0010 Image Caption: Pujara could see the funny side of his early go-slow

Pujara fell just three runs short of the Indian Test record of 57 balls to get off the mark, by Ravi Chauhan against Sri Lanka in 1994. The all-time mark is 80 balls by England's John Murray against Australia in 1963.

The right-hander battled for 261 minutes and 179 balls in all, hitting eight boundaries, before he was caught behind off the medium-paced Phehlukwayo.

Two dropped catches, a wicket overturned because of a no-ball and a non-review hampered South Africa on a day when the bowlers were able to extract considerable sideways movement off the pitch.

Kohli, who made his runs off 106 balls with nine fours, was the beneficiary of both dropped catches. He was put down on 11 by Philander off Rabada and on 32 by De Villiers at third slip off Morkel.

De Villiers made amends when he held a sharp chance off Lungi Ngidi to end Kohli's innings but South Africa?s star batsman did not field after tea while receiving ice treatment on a bruised right middle finger suffered when he held the catch.

Philander took the first wicket when he had KL Rahul caught behind and bowled a remarkable first spell of 1-1 in eight overs. He was later denied a second wicket when Ajinkya Rahane, on three, edged him to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, only to get a reprieve when replays showed he had over-stepped the bowling crease.

Rahane made only six more runs before he was leg before wicket to Morkel shortly before tea.

Pujara faced 31 balls without scoring a run in Philander's first spell and was beaten several times as well as surviving an unsuccessful review for a leg before wicket decision. The Proteas opted against a review a short time later when Pujara was again hit on the pad, with replays this time showing the batsmen would have been dismissed.

South Africa suffered an early blow in their reply when Aiden Markram edged an outswinger from Kumar to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel in the third over.

South Africa: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock (wk), Theunis de Bruyn/Andile Phehlukwayo/Keshav Maharaj, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi

India: Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Parthiv Patel (wk), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah

Qantas tour of South Africa

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc.

Warm-up match v SA Invitational XI, Sahara Park, Benoni, Feb 22-24

First Test Kingsmead, Durban, March 1-5

Second Test St George's Park, Port Elizabeth, March 9-13

Third Test Newlands, Cape Town, March 22-26

Fourth Test Wanderers, Johannesburg, March 30-April 3