Simon Harmer put on a show and picked up 4 wickets to his name while Marco Jansen picked up 3 wickets as well. India got starts much like South African batters, but no one kicked on and with Shubman Gill not coming back out to bat, India’s innings folded for 189 with a lead of just 30 runs. South African openers began steadily but at the stroke of Tea Break, Kuldeep Yadav removed Ryan Rickelton at the stroke of Tea. This game is nicely poised and it could go either way as we head to the final session of play.
South Africa continues to chip away at the wickets to peg India back.Â
Ravindra Jadeja and Dhruv Jurel resumed for India while Corbin Bosch had ball in hand for South Africa. Jurel began with a boundary as he extended his hands and cut it past backward point for a boundary. Jurel then leant onto the cover drive through extra cover for a boundary. Simon Harmer had ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a quiet over. Jadeja then crunched Bosch by driving him through cover point for a boundary. Harmer then struck for South Africa and removed Jurel for 14 off 14 balls with 3 fours to his name.
Harmer bowled full and around off drifting in. Jurel took a step forward and looked to fetch it with a flick shot. He got too close to the pitch of the ball and failed to generate the desired elevation and ended up chipping it off the toe end of the bat to the right of the bowler. Harmer had his eyes locked on the ball as he moved to the side and dived fully to take it inches above the ground. Axar Patel came out to bat and was gifted 4 byes by the bowler.
Jadeja got a leading edge trying to flick towards the backward point region as India took the lead now. Harmer continued and bowled a tight over. Bosch continued and bowled a decent over. Harmer continued and bowled a tight over. Bosch bowled another good over as the pitch was doing its tricks. Harmer got another and he was on a roll as he removed Jadeja for 27 off 45 balls with 3 fours to his name.
Harmer drifted in full and around the middle stump. Jadeja prod forward and looked to defend it and played down the wrong line. The ball came in with that around the wicket line. The ball beat the inside edge of the bat and got rapped on the front pad of Jadeja. The umpire gave it OUT. Jadeja reviewed in hope and saw three reds thereby burning the review. Kuldeep Yadav came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon.
Marco Jansen came back into the attack. He removed Kuldeep for 1 off 8 balls. Jansen bowled on a length but sliding down the leg side from over the wicket. Kuldeep shifted his weight on the front foot and looked to flick it to use the pace of the bowler for easy runs but got a thin inside edge to the keeper who dived to his right behind the stumps and took the catch. Mohammed Siraj came out to bat next.
Harmer continued and bowled another probing over. Jansen continued as Axar threw the kitchen sink at it and sliced it away to beat the deep backward point fielder for a boundary. India reached 180/7 in 58 overs with a lead of 21 runs when we all paused for the Drinks Break in the afternoon session.
Simon Harmer’s 4-wicket haul limits India to 189; Ryan Rickelton falls at the stroke of Tea after South Africa make steady progress.Â
Harmer continued after the break as Axar got a boundary away by slapping it between point and backward point for a boundary. Jansen continued and overstepped but he got rid of Siraj for 1 off 9 balls. Jansen bowled a hard length delivery angled back into the off-stump after holding its line after pitching. Siraj was squared up on the back foot and played defensively but inside the line. He got beaten on the outside edge and saw the ball hit the top of the off-stump. Jasprit Bumrah came out to bat next.
Harmer continued as Axar survived a stumping scare with the bowler bowling a maiden over. Jansen continued and bowled a decent over. Harmer finished things off by taking his 4th and dismissed Axar for 16 off 45 balls with 2 fours to his name. Harmer bowled a good length on the off-stump. Axar backed away and made room threw his hands at it. The ball lobbed up towards short third man. Jansen at short third man dived forward and took a two-handed low catch inches from the ground. Bumrah remained unbeaten on 1 off 3 balls as India finished with 189/9 with Shubman Gill retired hurt.
Simon Harmer was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/30 in 15.2 overs. Marco Jansen supported him well with 3/35 in 15 overs. Keshav Maharaj finished with 1/66 in 16 overs. Corbin Bosch finished with 1/32 in 11 overs. Wiaan Mulder went wicketless. The lead for India is 30 runs after the end of the first innings of both sides.
South Africa came out to bat in their second innings with openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram coming out to bat while Jasprit Bumrah had ball in hand for India. Bumrah bowled a decent first over. Axar Patel took the ball from the other end and bowled a decent over. Bumrah continued and bowled a probing line even as 4 leg byes was given by Bumrah. Rickelton took on Bumrah as he opened the bat face and flashed it right in between gully and backward point for a boundary.
Axar continued and bowled a decent over. Bumrah also kept things very tight out there. Axar Patel bowled a decent over as well. Kuldeep Yadav came onto bowl the final over before Tea break. He struck at the stroke of Tea removing Rickelton for 11 off 23 balls with one boundary to his name. Kuldeep bowled a googly full delivery pitching on middle and skidded through. Rickelton hung back on a pitch that was up and down. The left-hander tried to block but failed to read the variation as he played outside the line and got beaten on the inside edge as the ball hit the front pad in front of middle and leg stump. Appeal was given and the batter decided not to review.
South Africa were 18/1 in 6.4 overs trailing by 12 runs when we paused for Tea Break. Aiden Markram will now be joined by Wiaan Mulder in the middle.
What Lies Ahead in the Evening Session.Â
The Test Match is nicely poised and in the balance as we went to the final session of the day. This could be the most important session of the match. South Africa will want to pile it on and get a good lead while India will be wanting to make further inroads. Chasing will be really hard and any lead over 150 will be tough for India to chase. An intriguing evening session awaits us now.
Also Read:Â IND vs SA: South Africa Chip Away At Wickets In A Fascinating Battle