Twelve wickets fell on Day 1 of the first Test between India and South Africa in Mohali, suggesting this five-day slugfest will, well, last about three days at best.

With the pitch taking turn and staying considerably low on Day One, more demons are expected to come to the fore on the second day of this first Test, with South Africa on 28 for two, after bowling India out for 201.

Dean Elgar was the surprise package with the ball on day one, taking four big wickets, and the left-hander could prove to be the man with the bat as well, with the left-hander currently at the crease alongside his captain Hashim Amla.

R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja picked up a wicket each towards the end of the opening day, with the former dismissing the opener Stiaan Van Zyl, while the latter knocked the off-stump of Faf Du Plessis back.

However, India will know the game can be taken away from them by two South Africa batsmen – Amla and AB De Villiers – if they are not careful.

Yes, the ball is turning; yes, there is a tonne of rough to take advantage of; yes, India have good spinners in their lineup. However, if they allow Amla and/or De Villiers to settle, it could be curtains as far as the first Test is concerned. Because if South Africa cross 300 in this first innings, they will, most probably, win the Test match.

"It certainly wasn't easy to bat out there," Elgar said. "We expected the ball to turn like that, but we didn't think the wicket would crumble as much as it already has. It was hard work there.

"The outfield is fast enough, but it is a little bit difficult to generate pace on the ball when you are batting, which is definitely going to be a challenge for us. It is going to be a hard draft and we knew that when we came to India. Now we have to really buckle down and sweat it out."

India must to sweat it out as well, with Ashwin, Jadeja and Amit Mishra needed to come to the fore come Friday.

"It is a very challenging wicket to bat on and run-making is not easy on this wicket," India batting coach Sanjay Bangar said. "The total of 200 doesn't look big but its worth is far more than the number itself. Their batsmen too found scoring very tough.

"We definitely would have liked 70-75 more runs on the board but we can play with this."

Where to Watch Live

Get the report on India's second innings on Day 2 HERE

Read about what went on in the first session HERE

Get the Live Blog and Score of Day 2 HERE

Day 2 of this first Test match between India and South Africa is live on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 3 from 8.30 am IST, with play starting at 9.30 am IST (6 am SAST, 4 am GMT, 12 am ET). The Test match action can also be watched via live streaming online on Starsports.com and Hotstar.

Viewers in South Africa can watch all the action on SuperSport, with the online live stream option on SuperSport LiveSky Sports 2 will show the India vs South Africa match live in the UK, with the live streaming online option on Watch Sky Sports.

Audience in the US can watch India vs South Africa 1st Test live on Willow TV, with the action can be live streamed on Willow TV online. Watch Day 2 of the Test match live on OSN Sports in the Middle East and North Africa, while the match can be live streamed on OSN Play.