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Match Preview: Bangalore: An upbeat India will take on a depleted South Africa when the second Test of the ongoing Gandhi-Mandela series gets rolling at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday. The Proteas have taken a severe blow even before the contest starts as pace spearheads Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander have been ruled out due to injuries. Steyn is yet to recover from a groin strain which he suffered during the opening Test, while Philander injured his ankle in a freak accident during a football game in practice. [caption id=“attachment_2505616” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AB de Villiers will earn his 100th Test cap for South Africa at his home away from home. AFP[/caption] The duo did well in the first Test and their absence will be greeted with relief by the Indian batsmen. In their absence, the experienced Morne Morkel and promising youngster Kasigo Rabada will probably share the new ball duties. Rabada has been impressive throughout this tour and has troubled the batsmen with his speed and movement. Altough the pitch is expected to be spin-friendly, Morkel and Rabada have enough pace and guile to ask tough questions of the batsmen on any surface. With Steyn and Philander missing out, Kyle Abbott is in line for a call-up and the right-armer will have to step up his game and provide much-needed support in his role as the third seamer. The city has witnessed a lot of rain over the last few days and dense cloud cover coupled with moisture in the air means that the ball may swing a bit more in the air. The South African pacers may prove to be dangerous in such conditions. Simon Harmer and the in-form Imran Tahir will be the spearheads in the spin department. J.P. Duminy, who is likely to return to the Test XI after recovering from a cut to the webbing of his hand, is more than useful as a spin option apart from his utility as a top order batsman. South Africa have a list of worries in the batting departnment as well. Their batsmen proved woefully inadequate on the turning track in Mohali during the first Test. They were bundled out for a mere 108 runs in the second innings as the Indians wrapped up a 109-run victory inside three days. With the track at the Chinnaswamy Stadium also expected to be helpful for spinners, the visitors may expect another tough battle. The form of their captain Hashim Amla is also a cause for concern. One of the most technically gifted batsmen in the Proteas squad, Amla managed a total of just 43 runs during the two innings in the opening Test. The rest of the Proteas line-up packs enough punch in the form of Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, Duminy and Dean Elgar. De Villers – who will appaear in his 100th Test – is familiar with the track thanks to his stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Indian camp has fewer problems to worry about. Talented off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and leg-spinner Amit Mishra were promising in the opening Test and will be expected to come up with the goods here as well. With India skipper Virat Kohli’s penchant for a five-pronged bowling attack, rookie allrounder Gurkeerat Singh Mann may be expected to make his Test debut. The Punjab lad has done well with his off-spin in domestic cricket and is a good option if the Indian think tank led by Kohli and team director Ravi Shastri decides to go for an extra spinner. A middle-order batsman in the Punjab team, Mann is in good form at present, having scored an unbeaten double century in a Ranji Trophy game last month. He has also played as an opener in domestic tournaments. The pace department has also got a boost since the experienced Ishant Sharma is eligible for selection after serving a one-Test ban. If the Indian team mangement does decide to include him in the playing XI, either Umesh Yadav or Varun Aaron will have to sit out. One of the few issues of concern for the hosts is the poor form of opener Shikhar Dhawan. But the rest of the batting line-up wears a solid look. Opener Murali Vijay has done well while the talented Chesteshwar Pujara has been consisted at the No.3 slot. Skipper Virat Kohli Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to form the middle order. The lower order may also chip in with a useful contribution since both Ashwin and Mishra are also handy with the bat. IANS
India vs South Africa, 2nd Test Day One as it happened: Spinners, openers put India in command
Live updates of day one action from Bengaluru in the second Test between India and South Africa
 "India vs South Africa, 2nd Test Day One as it happened: Spinners, openers put India in command")
Dare say South Africa might struggle to avert a clean sweep in this Test series...their spin & batting against Indian spin is quite ordinary
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) November 14, 2015
Superb day for India with bat & ball. Must aim to bat all of tmrw to get stranglehold. SA seem bamboozled at very thought of playing spin!
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) November 14, 2015
Sumps on day 1 – India 80/0, trail by 134 runs.
A good last over from Rabada. he beat Vijay’s outside edge twice in that over. A maiden. But there was a relief on Dhawan’s face as the umpire called it stumps. A brilliant day for India their spinners – Jadeja and Ashwin helped them bowl South Africa out for a mediocre 214. To make matters worse for South Africa, the openers finally clicked and made sure India got off to a solid start. India trail by just 134 now, they would be looking to pile on a huge lead. It was a brave decision fielding first on this wicket and the Indian bowlers vindicated Kohli’s decision.
After 21 overs, India 80/0 (Vijay 28, Dhawan 45)
Runs flowing now. After a couple of singles, Vijay steers one wide of the short third man fielder for a boundary. He ends the over with a single. 7 runs off the over. Tahir still not getting his lengths right and has been too much on the shorter side.
After 20 overs, India 73/0 (Vijay 22, Dhawan 44)
Dhawan is playing really well now. He latches onto a short delivery and hammers it through square leg for a boundary. Both the batsmen looking at ease. South Africa need to do something different here.
After 19 overs, India 68/0 (Vijay 21, Dhawan 40)
Not the best of starts from Tahir, he missed his lengths and was either too short or too full. He drifted one down the leg side and Dhawan paddled it to fine leg for a boundary. Dhawan missed out on a couple of more opportunities to score as he hit them straight to the fielders.
After 18 overs, India 66/0 (Vijay 21, Dhawan 38)
Morkel has bowled well but with very little luck. Tahir dropped Vijay off his bowling. He bowled a couple of real beauties to beat Dhawan and Vijay’s outside edges respectively. One run off the over.
After 16 overs, India 65/0 (Vijay 21, Dhawan 37)
A decent over from Duminy, just one run off it. No extravagant shots tried out in that over.
After 15 overs, India 64/0 (Vijay 21, Dhawan 36)
Vijay gets a lifeline in that over asTahir drops him. Morkel bangs it in short, Vijay goes for a pull but doesn’t connect it. Tahir at square leg puts down a simple catch. Vijay, for some strange reasons, goes for another pull but misses. A maiden over from Morkel.
Only Amla got real 'beauty' all the rest were party to their own dismissals.!They R far too restless at the crease..unbecoming o no:1 rank!!
— Bishan Bedi (@BishanBedi) November 14, 2015
After 15 overs, India 64/0 (Vijay 21, Dhawan 36)
A poor start from Duminy. He starts off with a half tracker and Dhawan hammers it through mid-wicket for a boundary. He then bowls one wide outside off and Dhawan just guides it wide of shor third man for a boundary. 8 runs off the over.
After 14 overs, India 56/0 (Vijay 21, Dhawan 28)
Morkel is finally bowling the lengths he is more effictive with – Back of a length deliveries. He beats Vijay with a lovely leg cutter. Apart from the front foot no ball, a decent over from Morkel.
India's last few opening stands - 54*, 0, 9, 2, 0, 4, 3, 14, 12 #INDvSA
— Nikhil Mane 🏏🇦🇺 (@nikhiltait) November 14, 2015
After 13 overs, India 54/0 (Vijay 21, Dhawan 27)
50 comes up for India. After a long time, the opening pair has managed a decent start. Vijay drives one straight back down the ground for a boundary. 6 runs off the over.
After 12 overs, India 48/0 (Vijay 16, Dhawan 26)
After a couple of sharp bouncers which Dhawan leaves alone, Abbott bowls one onto Dhawan’s pads, Dhawan trickles it down to fine leg for a boundary. 4 runs off the over.
After 11 overs, India 44/0 (Vijay 16, Dhawan 22)
A good over from Rabada. After five decent balls, he darts one wide outside off, Vijay punches it through covers for a couple. Just the 2 runs off the over.
After 10 overs, India 42/0 (Vijay 14, Dhawan 22)
Vijay playing some exquisite strokes. He punches a good length delivery outside off through covers for a boundary. He then punshed the next one crisply too to covers where a misfield allows them a single. 6 runs off the over.
After 9 overs, India 36/0 (Vijay 9, Dhawan 21)
Dhawan looking good out in the middle. He crashed a touch wide one through point for a boundary. Rabada then bowls a bouncer next up and Dhawan pulls it to fine leg for a single. Vijay defends the rest two balls solidly. 5 runs off the over.
After 8 overs, India 31/0 (Vijay 9, Dhawan 16)
Vijay now playing some wonderful strokes. He drives one effortlessly through extra cover for a boundary. A couple of more beautiful strokes follow but Elgar does well to stop one flick at mid-wicket and the other one is driven straight to mid off. 4 runs off the over.
After 7 overs, India 27/0 (Vijay 5, Dhawan 16)
Dhawan is looking to play his shots. He cracks a lovely cover drive for a boundary. He punches one off the middle off the next ball but straight to the fielder. Rabada then bowls a touch wide, Dhawan looks to cut but gets a bottom edge along the ground to the slip cordon. Four runs off the over.
After 6 overs, India 23/0 (Vijay 5, Dhawan 12)
Dhawan is connecting them off the middle but most have gone straight to the fielder. He pushes one to mid off and takes a quick single. The duo have run well between the wickets so far. One run off the over.
After 5 overs, India 22/0 (Vijay 5, Dhawan 11)
Dhawan has played some good shots but has been beaten many times too so far. Morkel beats his outside edge but then Dhawan flicks one off his pads through mid-wicket for a boundary and then takes a single through the same area. Morkel guilty of fluffing his lines in that over.
After 4 overs, India 16/0 (Vijay 5, Dhawan 6)
A decent over from Abbott. Dhawan took a quick single and the keeper missed the throw which gave India extra couple of runs. 3 runs off the over.
After 3 overs, India 13/0 (Vijay 5, Dhawan 3)
A much better over from Morkel. He bowled a short of a good length areas and beat Vijay’s outside edge off one delivery. Dhawan got off the mark with a whip through mid-wicket for three.
After 2 over, India 9/0 (Vijay 4, Dhawan 0)
A good first over from Abbott. Dhawan still hasn’t learnt his lessons from the last Test. He looked to poke at one outside off but is beaten by the away swinger. There were four byes as the keeper got an awkward bounce and he missed it.
After 1 over, India 5/0 (Vijay 4, Dhawan 0)
Morkel started off with a front foot no ball but then bowled five balls with discipline. He overpitched the last one and Vijay drove it crisply through mid off for a boundary. Morkel got a hint of swing and bowled inswing to Vijay. He ramped decent pace too in mid 140s.
First time since 2009, South Africa are without Steyn and Philander in a Test match!
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) November 14, 2015
That's first time in 49 matches!#IndvsSA
In Tests in 2015:
— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) November 14, 2015
R Ashwin and R Jadeja: 55 wkts (Avg 18.32, SR 34.23)
All other Indian bowlers: 56 wkts (Avg 35.51, SR 58.64)#IndvSA
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