India vs South Africa, 2nd Test, Day 3 Highlights: South Africa 118/2 at stumps; India set 240 runs target
India vs South Africa, 2nd Test, Day 3 LIVE: Follow live cricket score, latest scorecard, commentary and match updates from Day 3 of the ongoing second Test between IND vs SA at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg.
India vs South Africa, 2nd Test, Day 3 Highlights: South Africa 118/2 at stumps; India set 240 runs target
South Africa 118/2 in 40 overs Excellent display of determination and grit by Rassie van der Dussen and South Africa captain Dean Elgar in the last hour of the Day's play. Elgar was hit on the hand and chest multiple times as he inch towards his fifty. India need eight wickets while South Africa are 122 runs away from levelling the series.
South Africa 106/2 in 35 overs Hundred up for South Africa. Rassie van der Dussen and Elgar are trying their level best to keep South Africa's run-chase on track. Shardul Thakur and R Ashwin are bowling at the moment. India need eight more wickets to win.
South Africa 93/2 in 28 overs R Ashwin provides the breakthrough as South Africa lose their second wicket. Keegan Petersen tries to play a defensive shot on the back foot and the ball spins a bit more than expected gets hit on the front pad. Elgar refuses to take the review. India need eight wickets to win.
South Africa 79/1 in 21 overs KL Rahul is bowling Shami and Siraj as Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen are sticking an important partnership after the wicket of Markram. India need nine wickets while the host need 161 runs to win the match.
South Africa 60/1 in 15 overs India's man in-form Shardul Thakur provides an early breakthrough as he removes South Africa opening batsman Aiden Markram. A beautiful in-swinging ball that hits Markram's pad straight ahead of the wicket. The appeal was in a way a celebration and the umpire raises his finger this time. India need nine more wickets to win the second Test and the series.
Shardul Thakur to start the session for India. Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram will look to continue the momentum and end the day on high.
Tea Break
South Africa 34/0 after 7 overs: Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram begin South Africa's chase and the left-right combination have given their team a rather firey start. Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah are operating relentlessly with the new ball but Markram has been the aggressor with three boundaries. To chase 240, South Africa needs a good opening stand and so far the home side is off to a fine start.
India 266 all out: Vihari helps India set 240 run-target against South Africa in the second Test here at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. He scored a vital 40 runs with a bit of help from the lower order. Siraj was the last wicket to fall as Nigidi picks his third wicket of the innings.
India 262/9 after 60 overs: Vihari is playing an excellent innings as he is hitting a boundary on every second last ball of the over and then trying to take a single on the last ball. The right-hand batter is inching towards fifty.
India 245/9 after 56.2 overs: Marco Jansen takes the catch as Lungi Ngidi picks his second wicket of the match by removing Bumrah on 7. India nine down with Vihari and Mohammed Siraj on the crease. India lead by 218 runs.
Words exchanged between Marco and Bumrah as the South African pacer continues to bowl short balls against India's lead pacer.
India 228/8 after 52 overs: Mohammad Shami departs for a duck after playing six balls. Marco Jansen gets his third wicket of the innings. The ball was drifting down the leg side but Shami could not control himself and edge it straight to the keeper. Hanuma Vihari is looking strong at one end, India lead by 203.
India 225/7 after 50 overs: Shardul Thakur's brilliant 24-ball 28 comes to an end as the all-rounder pulls a short ball from March Jamnsen straight to the fielder at deep. Thakur went all guns blazing and helped India crawl back again as the lead is now 200 runs. India will aim to get at least another 50 runs. South Africa, meanwhile, will look to wipe out the tail.
India 189/6 after 45 overs: Right then we are back for the second session and this will be a crucial one from India's point of view. South Africa will look to chip away wickets while India will look to take the lead past the 200-run mark. South Africa need to be careful as they can't leak runs while tyring to go for wickets. A lot will depend on Shardul Thakur and Hanuma Vihari.
India 188/6 after 44 overs: Lunch Break | India lead by 161 runs | Ashwin falls as Lungi Ngidi picks his first wicket and that's another blow for India. He was strangled down the leg side and Shardul Thakur joins Hanuma Vihari. India started well in this session with Pujara and Rahane scoring fine half-centuries but their departure opened the gates as Kagiso Rabada with a terrific spell brought South Africa back in the game. This has been a fascinating session and India will look to get close to the 250-run mark to give their bowlers a total to defend. We will be back in 45 minutes.
India 167/5 after 39 overs - WICKET! Kagiso Rabada has turned the match on its head and that's an atrocious shot from Rishabh Pant. He is going to get an earful from Rahul Dravid as it was completely unnecessary, given the foundation Rahane and Pujara laid. Pant shimmers down the track and tries to whack Rabada, goes for a wild swing only to manage a think outside edge and Verreynne does the rest. All the advantage has been nullified and India are five down with a lead of just 140 runs. It was certainly a horror shot from Pant and Sunil Gavaskar is mincing no words in the comm box. Over to Ashwin and Vihari to increase India's lead.
India 155/3 after 35 overs Just when Pujara and Rahane were going in their merry go way to swell India's lead, Rabada struck to send Rahane to the pavilion. A length delivery that came with an extra bounce, Rahane got an outside edge which was easily pocketed by Verreynne.
India were looking good till now as the visitors amassed 66 runs in 14 overs in the first hour of play.
India 137/2 after 30 overs Cheteshwar Pujara hits a fifty and this half-century has come a little quick from India's number 3 batsman. The right-handed player took 62 balls and found support from Ajinkya Rahane at the other end. The duo is looking in fine touch and is driving India to get a good lead in their second innings.
India 101/2 after 24 overs: The 100 is up for India and the lead is now 74 runs with Rahane and Pujara motoring on. Both batsmen have looked positive with Pujara oozing confidence with a beautiful flick to the fine leg boundary off Ngidi. Rahane, meanwhile dispatched Jansen for a six and that was a shot from a man who is confident in the middle. Jansen bowled it short and wide and Rahane slapped it as the ball sailed over the deep point region for a maximum. It was simply outstanding. South Africa are eyeing a breakthrough but Rahane and Pujara are on a run-mission.
India 87/2 after 21 overs: Crucial first session for both India and South Africa as the game is poised evenly. Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara resume the innings for India with Marco Jansen starting proceedings with the ball. Rahane is off the mark with a pull shot through the mid-wicket. The way Pujara batted on Day 2 evening was refreshing. A series win is on the horizon and two of India's most experienced Test players are batting not just for history but also for their place in the side.
Team India gears up for the action on Day 3.
Former cricketers and cricket pundits praise Shardul Thakur for his game-changing seven-wicket haul on Day 2.
IND vs SA 2nd Test: Thakur's 7 wickets bowl out South Africa for 229; IND finish Day 2 on 85/2
India finished Day 2 of the second Test against South Africa with a lead of 58 runs as Shardul Thakur's seven-wicket haul bundled out the hosts for 229 in reply to the visitors 202. In India's second innings, Cheteshwar Pujara (35*) and Ajinkya Rahane (11*) held on to the crease at stumps as India finish at 85/2 at stumps.
Thakur ran through the hosts' batting line-up with figures of 7 for 61 after Keegan Petersen struck a fine half-century before lunch. Resuming at the overnight score of 35 for one, South Africa added 53 runs before losing skipper Dean Elgar for 28 but Petersen held the other end, scoring 62 off 118 balls.
The visitors were all out for 202 in their first innings. South Africa took a first-innings lead of 27 runs over India.