South Africa showed great fight first with the bat with Temba Bavuma the captain showing his class and remained unbeaten on 55 off 136 balls while Corbin Bosch made 25 valuable runs as South Africa fought their way to 153 all out in 54 overs which meant a lead of 123 runs and a target of 124 runs for India.
Marco Jansen struck twice to remove both the Indian openers early and have reduced the hosts India to 10/2 in 7 overs and now the equation is 114 runs more for India and 7 wickets for South Africa with Gill retired out and unavailable to bat. It is advantage South Africa at Lunch on Day 3.
South Africa courtesy of Temba Bavuma makes a positive start despite losing Corbin Bosch for 25 in the first hour.Â
Captain Temba Bavuma came to resume proceedings with Corbin Bosch while Axar Patel had ball in hand for India. Axar started with a decent over. Ravindra Jadeja had ball in hand from the other end and he bowled a decent over as well as South Africa was content in milking singles. Axar continued and bowled a good over. Jadeja continued as South Africa brought up their 100 in 38.3 overs. Bosch got the first boundary of the morning as he swept it hard past short leg as the ball went away to the square leg fence.
Axar continued as Bosch was comfortably in the crease in a run out appeal. Axar continued to keep things relatively under check. Jadeja continued as India burnt a review for LBW against Bavuma as the ball pitched miles outside the leg stump. Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack next and was welcomed with a boundary from Bosch as he slammed it through the covers for a boundary. They milked the singles at will. Jadeja continued and bowled another decent over.
Jasprit Bumrah came into the attack for the first time in the day. He too bowled a good first over in the morning. Kuldeep changed ends as Bosch took him on by getting down on one knee and slammed it high up in the air towards the wide long-on boundary for the maximum. The lead crossed 100 at this stage. Bumrah bowled a maiden over. Kuldeep continued and bowled a decent over.
Bumrah provided the breakthrough for India this morning removing Bosch for 25 off 37 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name. Bumrah bowled a good length delivery pitching outside the off-stump that seamed slightly back in and knocked the off-stump over. There is a big gap between bat and pad as Bosch threw his hands at the ball without moving his feet and got nowhere near the line with the nip backer hitting the top of off-stump. Simon Harmer came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon.
Jadeja came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Bumrah continued as Bavuma got a boundary by playing away from the body to get a thick inside edge landing close to the wicket and ran away to the fine leg fence. Bavuma reached a hard fought fifty in 122 balls as he held the innings together. This was his 26th Test fifty. Jadeja continued and bowled a decent over. South Africa were 148/8 in 51 overs when we paused for the Drinks Break with Bavuma on 52* and Harmer on 6* with the lead standing at 118 runs with 2 wickets in hand.
Mohammed Siraj strikes twice to finish South African innings at 153; Marco Jansen removes Indian openers to put them under the pump.Â
Mohammed Siraj came into the attack for the first time after the break. The 150 came up for South Africa in 51.2 overs. Jadeja bowled another decent over. Siraj thought he had gotten rid of Bavuma LBW and was adjudged OUT. But the batter reviewed successfully and got the decision overturned in his favour. Siraj did not have to wait long for his first wicket as he got rid of Simon Harmer for 7 off 20 balls.
Siraj bowled full and pitching outside the off-stump and it didn’t bounce much and shaped back into the off-stump with Harmer pressing forward and shouldered arms at only to see the ball smash into the middle of the off-stump. Keshav Maharaj came out to bat next. He lasted three balls as Siraj got him LBW for a bronze duck.
Siraj nailed the inswinging yorker on the middle stump and Maharaj was late in getting his bat down and getting hit on the front boot. Siraj knew it and was celebrating and the umpire gave it OUT. Maharaj reviewed for the sake of it and we saw three reds and the review was lost in the end. South Africa were eventually bowled out for 153 in 54 overs with Bavuma remaining unbeaten on 55 off 136 balls with 4 fours to his name. 11 extras given by the fielding side.
Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers for India with figures of 4/50 in 20 overs. Kuldeep Yadav picked up 2/30 in 8 overs. Mohammed Siraj came in and finished with 2/2 in 2 overs. Jasprit Bumrah finished with 1/24 in 10 overs while Axar Patel finished with 1/36 in 14 overs. This meant that India now needed a record chase at Eden Gardens Kolkata as they needed 124 runs to win the match.
Chasing 124 for the win, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul came out to bat for India while Marco Jansen had ball in hand for South Africa. Jansen provided the perfect start for South Africa as he removed Jaiswal for a duck. Jansen bowled back of a length in the channel outside the off-stump angles in and straightened as Jaiswal poked at it on the back foot. The faint tickle off the outside edge that carried safely to the keeper. Washington Sundar came out to bat next.
Simon Harmer had ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a decent first over. Jansen was on a roll as he now removed the other opener KL Rahul for 1 off 6 balls. Jansen from around the wicket bowled short and outside the off-stump. Rahul stood tall and expected it to angle back at him and he tried to play it but the ball held his line and kicked off the surface and there was very little Rahul could have done there as he tried to drop his bottom hand off the bat as he failed to rise tall with the steep bounce and the ball got the outside edge that carried to the keeper Kyle Verreynne.
Dhruv Jurel came out to bat at 4 and got off the mark with a boundary as Jansen bowled it on the pads as Jurel tickled it fine for a boundary to the fine leg fence. Harmer bowled another decent over. Jansen continued as Sundar got an outside edge as he played from the crease with hard hands and got an outside edge as he pushed at it tentatively as the ball ran away past diving gully to his right for a boundary.
Harmer bowled a maiden over. Jansen continued and bowled a maiden over as well as Lunch was called with India struggling at 10/2 with Gill unable to bat. Sundar was batting on 5* while Jurel is with him on 4*. Two bowlers used by South Africa so far with Marco Jansen picking up 2 wickets and has figures of 2/8 in 4 overs while Simon Harmer has figures of 0/2 in 3 overs. South Africa on top at Eden Gardens Kolkata.
What Lies Ahead In Afternoon Session.Â
South Africa have shown great resistance out there to first get the score to 153 from 93/7 overnight thanks to Bavuma’s unbeaten 55 while India chasing 124 for the win are struggling at 10/2 in 7 overs with Shubman Gill unavailable to bat. At this stage, looking at the pitch, one has to say it is advantage South Africa. India has to dig dip in order to get to the target on this pitch.
An exciting afternoon session will come our way soon.
Also Read:Â IND vs SA: Indian Spinners Wrecks South Africa