SA vs IND, Boxing Day Test Day 3Highlights:
India bundled out South Africa for 408. Dean Elgar, who is playing his farewell Test series, top-scored with 185, while Marco Jansen registered his highest individual Test score of 84.
Jasprit Bumrah led India's bowling in the first innings by taking four wickets while Mohammed Siraj scalped two wickets.
In India's second innings batting, visitors lost two early wickets in Rohit Sharma (0) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (5) and they were 13/2. Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli steadied the ship and were looking to form a good partnership until the former was dismissed for 26 at 52/3.
After Gill's wicket, the pressure fell on Kohli as he lacked support in the middle-order. Kohli waged a lone battle and took past 100-run mark. Middle-order failed to deliver when needed while former India captain played a valiant knock of 76 off 82 balls. He was the last Indian batter to ve dismissed.
3rd Session Summary
After Tea break, India resumed their second innings batting at 62/3, with Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer batting on 18 and 6, respectively.
Shortly after the beginning of 3rd session, India lost another in Shreyas Iyer. Then, pressure was on Kohli to lead India's batting as wickets were crumbling.
Virat Kohli was waging a lone battle and brought his 30th Test fifty in 62 balls. Nonetheless, the match has already slipped away from India's hands as South Africa reduced hosts total from 72/4 to 105/7, losing three wickets in 33 runs.
Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah were hoping to steady India's batting till close of play but latter's wicket put India in deep trouble. Thereafter, Nander Burger dismissed Mohammed Siraj for 4 at 121/9.
Virat Kohli was trying hard to ensure that India don't lose a last wicket of the day. But, former India captain hit the ball to the air and Kagiso Rabada dived to take the ball.
With this, South Africa won the first Test by an innings and 32 runs to take 1-0 series lead.
2nd Session Summary:
Yet another session which was dominated by South Africa as India lost its top three batters cheaply after conceding a first innings lead of 163 runs.
Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer now have to steady the ship and make sure not to give away any more wickets to the Proteas, who have their tails up after an outstanding batting performance led by Dean Elgar's 185.
India have made a disastrous start to their second innings as captain Rohit Sharma and fellow opener Yashasvi Jaiswal returned to the dressing room inside the first 6 overs.
Kagiso Rabada drew first blood as he clean bowled Rohit for a duck with a jaffa before Nandre Burger got Jaiswal caught behind for 5.
South Africa 408 All Out In 108.4 Overs, Lead India (245) By 163 Runs. Jansen (84*), Bumrah (4/69)
India have finally managed to bowl out South Africa for 408 in the second session on Thursday but the hosts have managed to take a decisive 163-run lead thanks to brilliant batting performances from Dean Elgar (185) and Marco Jansen (84*).
Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 4 for 69 while Mohammed Siraj bagged a couple of wickets.
Indian batters will have to put up an improved show and look to give the fight back to the South Africans to stay in the Test match when they come out for the second innings at the SuperSport Park.
1st Session Summary:
South Africa 392/7 At Lunch, Lead India (245) By 147 Runs In Centurion. Elgar 185, Jansen 72*
The Proteas dominated the first session thanks to Dean Elgar and Marco Jansen's partnership which has nearly taken the game away from Team India. Shardul Thakur and R Ashwin struck in that session for the visitors but with the hosts lead nearing 150, the equation is slowly slipping away from Rohit Sharma & Co.
India have finally managed to get the wicket of Dean Elgar with Shardul Thakur breaking the 111-run partnership for the sixth-wicket with Marco Jansen (60*). South Africa now lead India by more than 100 runs and are slowly reaching a position from where they cannot lose this Test.
Dean Elgar and Marco Jansen are slowly taking the game away from Team India with their sixth-wicket partnership which has already yielded 94 runs. The Proteas (338/5) now lead India by 93 runs with Elgar batting on 178* and Jansen on 50*.
Dean Elgar has brought up his 150 and the South African lead has now reached 42 with their team score at 287 for 5 after play resumed on Thursday. India have been unsuccessful at stopping the flow of runs as conditions have improved for batting under bright sunshine at the SuperSport Park.
The visitors will be pinning their hopes on the second new ball to break through now as the current ball is not doing much for the pacers or off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. The pitch has developed some cracks which the Indian bowlers are looking to exploit to get some purchase from the surface.
Jasprit Bumrah to start the proceedings for Team India with new batter Marco Jansen taking first strike. Dean Elgar will resume his innings on 140 at the other end.
India looking for quick wickets
"(On the game situation) Quite balanced. We have to come out here today and bowl in the right areas. Still a bit of assistance from the pitch. We need to get Dean out early and get the rest after. It is building up to be a pretty exciting Test match," India wicketkeeper KL Rahul said on the current situation of the Test match.
SA vs IND, 1st Test Day 2 Summary:
South Africa will be looking to pile on the misery on Team India with Dean Elgar at the helm of affairs when they take the field on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
The Proteas were 11 runs ahead of the visitors by the end of the second day's play with 5 wickets in hand.
Dean Elgar will resume the action and his innings on 140 along with Marco Jansen and the tail-enders to follow.
India were behind the ball-game throughout Wednesday thanks to Elgar's century but they fought back late in the day through Prasidh Krishna and Mohammad Siraj after Jasprit Bumrah got two quick wickets in the second session.
