India skipper Virat Kohli plays a shot on Day one of the third and final Test against South Africa in Newlands, Capetown.
IND vs SA 3rd Test, Day 1 Highlights: South Africa 17/1 at stumps; India 223 all out
Hello and a very warm welcome to Day one of the final Test match and this is going to be a cracker of a decider. Stay tuned as we bring all the latest updates from Newlands in Cape Town.India vs South Africa, 3rd Test, Day 1, 3rd session It was indeed a fast-paced day in Cape Town. After bundling India for 223 where Kohli was a standout performer courtesy of his 79 runs, South Africa started their first innings. Soon, the Proteas skipper- Dean Elgar was back in the back in the hut where Bumrah became the owner of this prized scalp. All in all, 11 wickets fell on the opening day of the third Test at Newlands.
Day 1 Stumps!
South Africa 10/1 after 4.4 overs Bumrah gets the big wicket of Dean Elgar, who could only contribute three runs to the total on the day. The South African edged a moving ball from the pacer straight into Pujara's hands at first slip. Kohli is certainly pumped up by such start. Nightwatchman Keshav Maharaj has now walked in.
Elgar and Markram are at the crease. Elgar is on strike. Bumrah will open the attack.
India 223/10 after 77.3 overs India are bundled for 223 in their first innings where skipper Kohli's 79-run knock drove the visitors. Clearly, India couldn't capitalize on their decision to bat first after winning the toss as they failed to gather a fine total on the board. Barring Kohli's partnership with Pujara and Pant, the rest of the unit exhibited an off-shore performance with the willow.
Onto the Indian bowlers now who would aim early wickets before Stumps on the opening day in Cape Town.
Virat Kohli departs at 79 and misses on a much deserving century.
India 205/7 after 69 overs Keshav Maharaj removes Shardul Thakur and gets his first wicket for Maharaj in the series. A close call from the umpire as the hard defence from Thakur gives an easy catch at to Petersen at short cover. Because the fielder has all his fingers underneath the ball, Thakur returns to the pavilion. Kohli desperately looking for support to drive India and his innings.
India 180/6 after 64 overs Jansen strikes twice in the last five overs! First, he dismisses Rishabh Pant who was caught at the gully and then foxed the senior player Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin gave an edge on a delivery that angled across from him and gave an easy catch to the keeper Verreynne. Virat Kohli is in desperate search of support from the other end.
Gritty 50 comes from Test skipper Virat Kohli. Absolute class and an exhibition of great temperament. This has been a really hard-fought innings and the half-century has come up in 158 balls. This is his 28th half century in the Test format.
India 159/4 after 59 overs India have pressed hard on the run-rate which has gone past 3.5 in the 3rd session so far. Rishabh Pant is supporting Virat Kohli well as the latter aims to end his century drought and lift the historic Test series against the Proteas in Cape Town.
India vs South Africa, 3rd Test, Day 1, 2nd session After the early wickets of Pujara and Rahane, resilient Kohli and Pant take India forward. In 26 overs, the visitors gathered 66 runs at a run rate of 2.54 and lost two wickets. Virat Kohli in his 99th Test looks in sublime form- patient and resilient. The Indian Test skipper has left 50 per cent of the deliveries that he has faced and is careful while playing the cover drives. Kohli is having a hawk's eye on the ball till the last moment and is shouldering a majority of deliveries. Hope Pant doesn't play that glossy and the duo can make it big for India to bring their first-ever Test win in Cape Town.
It is TEA TIME in Cape Town! Action resumes after 20 minutes.
India 139/3 after 53 overs India proceeding at snail's pace, taking and absorbing deliveries. Just 19 runs gathered from the last 10 overs. Kohli and Pant just staying out there in the middle and are slowly keeping the scoreboard ticking. Clearly, Kohli is giving his everything, hanging out there totally focussed.
India 120/4 after 43 overs WICKET! Ajinkya Rahane's struggle continues as Kagiso Rabada strikes immediately after the Drinks break. He was given Out caught behind, Rahane reviewed with having a little chat with skipper Kohli only to lose the review. Good length delivery, straightened just a bit and just brushed the outside edge of Rahane's bat. India in a spot of bother as Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli.
India 99/3 after 38 overs WICKET! Marco Jansen gets the breakthrough and sends Pujara to the pavilion. A straight delivery from Jansen bowled from around the wicket gets the prized scalp of Pujara at 43. The Indian batter totally got stuck on the crease, opened the blade and nicks it to Verreynne.
Even Rahane gets life just in his second delivery as Markram fails to pocket the thick edge from Rahane's willow at the second slip.
India 81/2 after 33 overs Pujara and Kohli aim to take India forward, get runs on the scoreboard and consolidate their partnership. The pitch is acting mischievously as it is offering extra and awkward bounce. The bounce, however, isn't that high and steep compared to the surfaces in Centurion and Johannesburg. Pujara, Kohli inch closer to the 50-run partnership.
India vs South Africa, 3rd Test, Day 1, 1st session Much didn't come India's way to start the proceedings after choosing to bat first in the decider Test in Cape Town as the visitors lost both openers- Rahul and Mayank inside 13 overs. It was then the senior pros- Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara who shouldered the responsibility to drive India out of choppy water. The hosts had a delightful early morning which was supposedly spoiled by the Kohli-Pujara stand. India collected 75 runs from 28 overs at the run rate of 2.68 in the opening session of Day 1.
Action resumes in Cape Town after 40 minutes!
India 75/2 after 28 overs It is LUNCH TIME in Cape Town! Skipper Kohli and Pujara accelerate India's run throttle and have ensured a stand of 42 runs from 95 balls. The duo looks comfortable on the turf and is driving the visitors.
India 53/2 after 22 overs Slowly and steadily India have reached the 50-run mark. The senior players- Pujara and Kohli look confident on the pitch and eye to wash off their respective century droughts that have been mongering for long now. Till now, it has been a 20-run stand from 59 balls from the Indian batters.
India 41/2 after 17 overs With the overcast conditions the ball is doing a little and with the SA bowlers resiliently bowling outside the off, the Proteas are keeping the noose tight for the visitors. Unlike Rahul-Mayank, Pujara-Kohli is unfazed by the slow run rate and are taking enough time to get acclimatized to the conditions. The duo is blunting the ball and is steadily leading the Indian team.
India 33/1 after 13 overs Two wickets in six balls! Rahul was tempted to play the short of a length ball outside the off and gave an easy edge to the wicketkeeper. Mayank departed in a similar fashion where the Indian batter edged on the outside off delivery to lend a comfortable catch at the slips. Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara are on the crease for India. Can the duo break their century jinx?
India 29/0 after 7 overs The kookaburra ball is doing a little in the first hour of the play as the cloudy conditions cover the sky. Rahul and Mayank are a little watchful of the deliveries from South Africa's pacemen.
India 6/0 after 2 overs South African bowlers look resilient and are pitching the ball outside the off with the variation in the deliveries. Rahul and Mayank are extra cautious are playing safely to blunt the ball. While Rabada is bowling good length and getting some late movement away in the fifth stump channel Olivier continues to trouble the Indian batters with his angling in deliveries coming from the outside off zone.
Rahul and Mayank are at the crease. Rahul is on strike. Rabada will open the attack
India vs South Africa: Head to Head at Newlands in Capetown.
Total Matches- 5
South Africa won- 3
India won- 2
Matches Drawn- 0
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Playing XI
India Playing XI: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav
South Africa Playing XI: Dean Elgar(c), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne(w), Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Duanne Olivier, Lungi Ngidi
- Toss: Virat Kohli wins toss, India to bat first | Changes - Virat Kohli in for Hanuma Vihari | Umesh Yadav replaces Mohammed Siraj
- India Probable Playing XI: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma
- Meanwhile, former India captain and current head coach Rahul Dravid is celebrating his birthday today. And wishes are pouring in from all quarters
Squads:
India Squad: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Umesh Yadav, Jayant Yadav, Hanuma Vihari, Mohammed Siraj, Priyank Panchal, Shreyas Iyer
South Africa Squad: Dean Elgar(c), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne(w), Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Duanne Olivier, Lungi Ngidi, Prenelan Subrayen, Beuran Hendricks, Sisanda Magala, George Linde, Wiaan Mulder, Sarel Erwee, Ryan Rickelton, Glenton Stuurman
