India's skipper Virat Kohli hailed the team's victory in the first Test against South Africa as a 'special win' for the side, as India picked up a comprehensive 203-run win to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The Indian bowlers were instrumental throughout the contest, with the spin combo of Ashwin and Jadeja leading the charge while Mohammad Shami picked up five wickets in the second innings, helping India bowl out South Africa for 191 runs. The game was very fruitful for the Indian side as Rohit Sharma became the only batsman to have scored two centuries in two innings while debuting the role of an opener. Ashwin, on the other hand, picked up his 350th Test wicket and equaled Muttiah Muralidharan's record, while his spin partner Jadeja became the fastest left-arm bowler to pick up 200 Test wickets. Virat Kohli took to Twitter to hail India's victory and revealed that he was already eyeing the next game.

READ | Bishen Bedi hails Jadeja as 'Unplayable Spinner'

'A special win', says Virat Kohli

READ | Hardik Pandya vows comeback in no time post-surgery, shares picture

Dane Piedt's fifty goes in vain

South Africa's tailender Dane Piedt lead the Proteas fightback in vain with a gritty half-century as India bowled out the visitors for 191 runs to pick up the win. Dane Piedt along with Senuran Muthuswamy stitched a crucial ninth-wicket partnership for the Proteas after the top-order collapsed in the first session of the day's play on the final day of the contest. However, the brutal Indian bowling attack left the Proteas in shambles, with Mohammad Shami picking up five scalps along with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja sharing the spoils. Dane Piedt's knock featured nine boundaries and one six while Muthuswamy scored 49 runs off 108 balls. India picked up a comprehensive 203-run win over South Africa to take a lead of 1-0 in the Test series. 

READ | R Ashwin joint fastest to 350 Test wickets alongside Muralitharan

R Ashwin reaches 350th Test wicket mark

India's premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday became the joint-fastest to take 350 wickets, matching Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan's feat in his 66th Test. R Ashwin, who had taken his 27th five-wicket haul in the first innings of the opening Test against South Africa, castled Theunis de Bruyn with one that turned back sharply from wide outside the off-stump for his milestone wicket on day five here. The 33-year-old took just five balls to provide India the breakthrough in the morning session with South African chasing an improbable target of 395 runs. The wily off-spinner has answered his critics with a stellar show in the first Test of the home season.  Ashwin, who played his first international game since December 2018, warmed the bench in the two-Test series in the West Indies in August-September with Ravindra Jadeja being the preferred choice. Ahead of the first Test, skipper Virat Kohli had said that Ashwin remains India's go-to spinner in home conditions.

READ | Dane Piedt leads Proteas' fight back with Muthuswamy, scores fifty