On the brink

Ranchi, October 21

India are only two wickets away from inflicting a 3-0 whitewash on South Africa after claiming 16 South African wickets on a triumphant Day 3 of the third Test. After bowling the visitors out for 162 in their first innings to earn a massive lead of 335 runs, India made them follow on, and South Africa were equally poor the second time around. They had slumped to 132/8 at stumps, with Theunis de Bruyn unbeaten on 30 and Anrich Nortje on 5. De Bruyn came to bat as a concussion substitute in place of Dean Elgar, who retired hurt after being hit by a Umesh Yadav bouncer.

Early jolt

Beginning the day on a precarious 9/2, South Africa put up an insipid batting performance and only Zubayr Hamza stood out, making 62, his maiden Test half-century. The visitors lost skipper Faf du Plessis in the very first over of the day to a beautiful delivery by Yadav — the ball was angled in but seamed away to beat du Plessis’s bat and crashed into the stumps.

Hamza added 91 runs with Temba Bavuma (32), but once the former fell, the innings quickly unravelled. Apart from Hamza, Bavuma, and George Linde (37), no South African batsman reached double figures and the fight was over in only 56.2 overs.

Follow-on

Virat Kohli asked South Africa to bat again and right at the start, South Africa were jolted by Yadav when he bowled Quinton de Kock for five in the second over of the innings. Mohammed Shami then ran through the top-order with a three-wicket burst. The right-arm quick bowler bowled Hamza for a duck, trapped du Plessis lbw for four, and had Bavuma caught behind for a duck to tighten the noose around the tourists. For the visitors, only Linde made 27 before being run-out. — Reuters