NEW DELHI: Temba Bavuma paid the price for his momentary indiscretion while Tristan Stubbs fell prey to Kuldeep Yadav’s guile as bowlers put India on top in the second Test, reducing South Africa to 247 for six on an attritional opening day’s cricket.

It was a track with a difference where survival, unlike Kolkata, wasn’t difficult but at the same time, it wasn’t a belter either where a team could just race away with a flurry of boundaries.

The Indian bowlers — especially Kuldeep (3/48) and Jasprit Bumrah (1/38) — displayed immaculate control and mastery on a track that was reasonably good for batting with no signs of variable bounce whatsoever.

Ravindra Jadeja (1/30) didn’t get much help off the surface but dismissing Bavuma (41 off 92 balls) was one of the turning points of day one.

It was an over-pitched delivery and Bavuma wanted to play the lofted drive over mid-off. The ball stopped on him and hit slightly higher part of the bat and never got the elevation required. Yashasvi Jaiswal pouched it smartly.

This was after his 84-run stand with Tristan Stubbs (49 off 112 balls) and South Africa were looking good to carry on with the momentum.

Following Bavuma’s dismissal, Tristan Stubbs, playing his first innings of note in the series, also lost concentration.

It was a delivery from Kuldeep that was angled across Stubbs who wanted to play a non-existent steer as a practice catch went to KL Rahul at the first slip.

Stubbs did look good after some initial jitters as he used his big 6 feet 4 inch frame to come down the track, defend the deliveries based on length and attack when needed be. Both his sixes off Kuldeep — one over long-on and other over long-off — were a result of picture-perfect footwork.

Quick wickets swing momentum

The two quick wickets resulted in a third as Wiaan Mulder (13) also repeated the mistake made by Bavuma. The bowler this time, though, was Kuldeep, who had tossed one up outside the off-stump, enticing him to go for an inside out drive over extra cover.

Once again there was no elevation and Jaiswal made no mistake as South Africa from a comfortable 166 for 2 slumped to 201 for 5.

At the fag end of the day, Mohammed Siraj produced a beauty where the ball deviated late to get Tony de Zorzi (28 off 59 balls) nick one to a diving Rishabh Pant behind the stumps.

His was another case of a batter getting set and not converting the start.

While the pitch hasn’t shown signs of wear and tear but it is occasionally troubling the batters which is par for the course.

After an under-prepared track that messed up things for India in the opening game in Kolkata, the Barsapara Stadium track remained firm while offering some lateral movement due to the underlying moisture in the first hour and half.

But all the Proteas batters were guilty of throwing away the initial hardwork. They survived those anxious moments, got their eye in but could not turn their knocks into substantial ones.

Aiden Markram (38 off 81 balls) was beaten time and again during Bumrah’s probing opening spell when the pacer beat both inside and outside edges of his willow with lateral movement.

But just at the stroke of tea, Bumrah fired one fuller with the angle and Markram went for a needless expansive drive when all he could have done was play for time after adding 82 with Ryan Rickleton (35 off 82 balls).

The dismissal did affect Rickleton but it was Kuldeep, who just two balls post tea, got one to drift in and then turn enough to kiss the outside edge of Rickleton’s bat into skipper Pant’s hand.

Pant was brilliant as a skipper

Pant’s captaincy also stood out as he was pretty good with his bowling changes, giving all the bowlers reasonable spells to set-up the batters.

The opening day had a retro like feel from 1980s and 90s as the first hour saw Bumrah being lethal while deliveries bowled by Washington Sundar and Kuldeep did jump and turn.

Even with the old ball, Bumrah got appreciable inward movement while Mohammed Siraj, who was also steady bowled some sharp bouncers to trouble the Proteas middle order batter.

In between, Bavuma was a picture of concentration as he defended well, survived DRS appeals and occasionally played those drives.

What South Africa would rue after the end of the opening day was all their top-order batters played in excess of 80 deliveries but didn’t convert which could hurt them in context of the final outcome of the game.

(With PTI Inputs)