3rd Test, Day 2: South Africa suffer early blows chasing hefty 310 for victory

Nagpur: On a day in which 20 wickets tumbled, India were firmly in the driver's seat and look all set to win the third Test at Nagpur tomorrow.

After rolling over South Africa for a meagre 79 in their first innings, the Indian batsmen also found the going tough.

The visitors hit back to dismiss India for 173 in their second knock, with leggie Imran Tahir snapping up five wickets.

But that still left South Africa with a mountain to climb.

Set 310 for victory, they lost two early wickets to close the day on 32/2.

Opener Stiaan van Zyl fell to Ravichandran Ashwin for the fifth time in the series, making just five.

For the second successive day, South Africa sent in a nightwatchman in the form of Imran Tahir.

But again Tahir could not see out the day, being trapped leg before by fellow leg spinner Amit Mishra for 8.

At stumps, the same two not out batsmen at the end of Day 1 were batting, with Dean Elgar on 10 and Hashim Amla on 3.

South Africa need hefty 310 for victory in Nagpur Test

India have set South Africa a hefty 310 for victory on Day 2 of the third Test in Nagpur.

Leg spinner Imran Tahir grabbed five wickets to bowl out India for 173 after tea on the second day.

Resuming at 108/5 in the final session of the day, Rohit Sharma added some useful runs in the company of the tail to push the lead over 300.

Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin all fell in single digits.

Rohit was eventually ninth out for 23 off 39 balls including one six.

Amit Mishra made 14 before being the last man to fall, castled by Tahir, who finished with 5/38.

Morne Morkel was an able foil to Tahir, grabbing 3/19.

South Africa fight back after being shot out for 79

The Indian spinners shot out South Africa for a record-low total of 79 to grab a substantial first innings lead before the visitors fought back to reduce the home team to 108/5 at tea on the second day of the third and penultimate cricket Test here today.

The hosts were ahead of the visitors by 244 runs with five second innings wickets in hand.

The home batsmen, who were dismissed in their second essay were first innings and series top-scorer Murali Vijay (5), his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan (39), one-down Cheteshwar Pujara (31), captain Virat Kohli (16) and Ajinkya Rahane (9).

In fact, India were cruising along nicely at 97 for 2 when Imran Tahir struck quick blows by grabbing three wickets in 11 balls spread over different overs by getting rid of Dhawan, Kohli and Rahane, all of whom fell to poor shots.

At the break, Rohit Sharma and wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha were unbeaten without any runs to their name.

Ashwin, Jadeja destroy South Africa for pitiful 79

With the visitors on a shaky 11 for 2 overnight in reply to the home team's modest first innings tally of 215, expectations were high that the Indian spinners would create mayhem on a venomous VCA Stadium track.

True to predictions, Ravichandran Ashwin (5 for 32), Ravindra Jadeja (4 for 33) and Amit Mishra (1 for 9) combined forces to slice through the nervous Proteas' batting order and shoot them out for their 12th lowest Test score and their worst since readmission to international cricket in the early 1990s.

The visitors lost eight wickets in one and a half hours' batting during which they faced 24.1 overs.

The total innings beat the previous low of 84 against India made in Johannesburg in December 2006 as well as the previous lowest in this country of 105 in November 1996.

None of the Proteas' batsmen, barring to some extent left handed Jean-Paul Duminy who top-scored with 35 in 65 balls after being let-off twice showed inclination or skill to counter the threat posed by Ashwin and Jadeja.

Off-spinner Ashwin bowled unchanged for 16.1 overs from the end opposite to the pavilion to return with his 14th five-wicket haul in an innings in his 31st game.

Having accounted for opener Stiaan van Zyl last evening, he added the wickets of the other opener Dean Elgar, rival skipper Hashim Amla, Simon Harmer and Morne Morkel today by making the ball 'talk' on a spiteful pitch.

He sent back Elgar and Amla in the space of three balls in successive overs to leave Proteas gasping at 11 for 4.