SA vs IND: 2nd Test, Day 3 – Captain Elgar leads from the front
A day that started with the Test hanging in the balance ended with hosts South Africa taking the ascendancy, needing 122 runs to level the series, while India need eight wickets to make it 2-0.
The visitors, who started the day at 85/2, were wrapped up for 266 on the back of half-centuries from Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara before the positive knocks of Shardul Thakur and Hanuma Vihari led them to set South Africa 240 to win. The hosts ended the day at 118/2. Here are the Talking Points from the third day’s play
Pujara-Rahane get back in the runs
The senior duo has been under immense pressure over the last year and increased their misery after cheap dismissals in the first innings. However, they got back into the groove with some positive stroke-play, notching up their respective half-centuries in the process. However, both of them departed soon after reaching the landmark, with Rahane falling for 58 and Pujara 53,
Rishabh Pant’s reckless shot
The Indian wicketkeeper received plenty of flak after he perished playing a reckless shot again. Pant met with a nasty short ball from Kagiso Rabada only a ball before his dismissal. Rattled by the same, he charged against the pacer on the next delivery, playing a wild slog but could only manage to nick it behind to the keeper to walk back for a duck.
Bumrah-Jansen duel
Tempers flared between Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah and his counterpart Marco Jansen towards the fag end of the Indian innings when Bumrah took a couple of body blows off Jansen’s bowling. The latter had a few words to share, while Bumrah did not hold himself back as they walked towards each other before the on-field umpire Marais Erasmus intervened.
South Africa’s positive start
Needing 240 to win, South African openers Elgar and Aiden Markram added 47 runs between them in merely 10 overs before Markram was trapped lbw for 31 in just 38 by Shardul Thakur. While the scoring rate declined after the break of the opening stand, Keegan Petersen hung around alongside skipper to add a solid 46 runs before R Ashwin dismissed him lbw for 28 off 44.
