India win toss, opt to bat against SA

Mohali - India's captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat in the first Test against South Africa at the I.S. Bindra stadium in Mohali on Thursday.

LIVE: India v SA

India went in with three spinners and two fast bowlers on a dry pitch that is expected to break up as the match progresses.

The Proteas were without the injured Morne Morkel for the first match in the four-Test series, allowing promising young fast bowler Kagiso Rabada to make his debut.

Rabada joins Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander in a three-man pace attack, supported by two spinners in leg-spinner Imran Tahir and off-break bowler Simon Harmer.

India: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron.

South Africa: Hashim Amla (captain), Dean Elgar, Stiaan van Zyl, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, Dane Vilas, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer, Imran Tahir.

Umpires: Kumar Dharamsena (SRI) and Richard Kettleborough (ENG)

TV umpire: Vineet Kulkarni (IND)

Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)