CRICKET
Day 3: Bavuma resists but India on top
Lungi Ngidi and Muhammad Shami shine with the ball as both of them claimed 6 and 5 wicket haul respectively for their sides.
India also lost Agarwal before stumps on day 3.
India 1st innings 327
KL Rahul 123 Ngidi 6-71 Agarwal 60 Rabada 3-72 Rahane 48 Jensen 1-69
South Africa 1st innings 197 all-out
Bavuma 52 Shami 5-44 de Kock 34 Bumrah 2-16 Rabada 25 Thakur 2-51
India 2nd innings 16-1
Rahul 5* Jensen 1-4 Thakur 4*
M. Shami’s brilliant 5-wicket haul put India in total control of the first Test match. India secured a big lead of 130 runs in the first innings.
South Africa made a big comeback on day 3 due to the brilliant bowling performance from Lungi Ngidi who picked up 6 wickets today.
India was dismissed on 327 runs in the first innings.
Indian batting collapsed on day 3
Team India was expecting to put a huge total on the board as they were just 3 down for 272 runs but India collapsed badly today as they lost their last 7 wickets for just 55 runs.
India’s both overnight batters Rahul and Rahane were dismissed early-on today.
KL Rahul was dismissed on 123 runs by Rabada while Ngidi picked up his 4th wicket of the innings by dismissing Rahane with some extra bounce as Rahane got a thick edge straight into the keeper’s hands.
Rahane missed his fifty by just 2 runs.
Ngidi and Rabada wrapped up the lower order of India very quickly.
Ngidi claimed a superb 6 wicket haul while Rabada supported him nicely by picking up 3 wickets.
Ngidi’s 6-wicket haul helped South Africa to restrict India on just 327 runs.
Solid start by Indian bowlers
South Africa had a very poor start with the bat as they lost their first 4 wickets on 32 runs.
Bumrah removed the Proteas skipper, Dean Elgar in the first over of the innings.
Elgar was given caught behind by the umpire.
Muhammad Shami clean bowled Keegan Petersen on the 3rd ball after Lunch.
Petersen was dismissed after scoring 15 runs.
In the 12th over, Shami again bowled a magnificent delivery to Aiden Markram that hits the top of the off-stump.
Markram scored 13 runs before getting bowled out by Shami.
Muhammad Siraj then struck in the next over as he ended the short stay of Rassie van der Dussen with a length delivery that nipped outside off to get a thick edge, taken very low by Rahane at gully.
Bavuma and de Kock partnership
Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma tried to rescue their side by building up a solid partnership.
They added 72 runs for the 5th wicket.
But when this partnership was looking good, Thakur bowled out Quinton de Kock with a superb length delivery that was angling in.
De Kock tried to play it towards the 3rd man but unfortunately, he got a thick edge that smashed the stumps.
Bavuma played patiently but the wickets continued to fall on the other end.
Bavuma completed his half-century but he was dismissed by M. Shami when he was looking good on 52 runs.
Marco Jensen and Rabada added 37 runs for the eighth wicket but that wasn’t enough as South Africa was all-out on just 197 runs to give India a good lead of 130 runs.
Shami’s 5-wicket haul
Shami bowled beautifully as he picked up 5 wickets for 44 runs in his spell today.
M. Shami dismissed Rabada to not only complete his 5-wicket haul but also to reach the landmark of 200 Test wickets.
This was the 6th five-wicket haul for Shami in Test cricket.
India lost Agarwal before stumps on day 3 and they will continue their innings tomorrow with a score of 16-1.
Rahul and Thakur are unbeaten on the crease as India will look to set a good target on the board for South Africa.