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Indians scent series victory

Cricket Third Test : Beleaguered South Africa face monumental task as wickets continue to tumble at Nagpur
Last Updated 26 November 2015, 18:47 IST

Just consider the enormity of the task in front of a beleaguered South Africa. They will have to post 310 runs -- 96 more than the highest total they have managed in four completed innings of this series thus far -- to pull off an improbable series-levelling win on a raging turner.

The target is 30 runs more than what West Indies had managed in 1987 in a successful chase (276/4) in Delhi, the highest fourth-innings score by a visiting side in India to date. That they are already two down for 32 – still 278 adrift of the target – makes their job that much harder.

South Africa, overnight 11/2, in an abject surrender that was characterised by distinct lack of imagination and application, folded up for 79 to hand India a 136-run lead, which was worth a lot more on this surface. R Ashwin (5/32) claimed another five-for while Ravindra Jadeja (4/33) wasn’t far behind as they spun a web around South African batsmen on the second day of the third Test at the VCA stadium on Thursday. While Ashwin was a delight to watch with his loopy, drifting deliveries, Jadeja combined his accuracy and pace with turn to run through the visiting ranks.

On a day when wickets fell faster than AB de Villiers would bring up his runs in a T20, India positioned themselves for an unassailable 2-0 lead after they were bowled out for 173 in their second innings. As many as 20 wickets fell on the day, highlighting the difficulties batsmen from both sides had to face on a pitch that had variable bounce, turn and pace. That said, to squarely blame the poor returns from the batsmen on the vagaries of the track would be over simplifying things.

While the Indian batsmen showed distinct lack of application required on this pitch, especially in their second innings, South Africa, the No 1 Test side, ought to have fared better than they did. That their first innings lasted just over a length of a session (127 minutes), during which they were shot out for their lowest total (79 in 33.1 overs) against India, reflected their fragile mental make-up at the moment more than the “diabolical” nature of the pitch as Michael Vaughan would have us believe. It was not an ideal wicket to bat on but definitely not the one where you would slip to 12 for five, as South Africa did in the morning.

In a parade to the pavilion, South Africa lost overnight batsman Dean Elgar on the fifth ball of the day; the southpaw chopping a carrom ball by Ashwin on to his stumps. Hashim Amla’s ill-conceived sweep off Ashwin resulted in a catch while AB de Villiers was flummoxed by Jadeja soon. The left-arm spinner then went on to dismiss an out-of-sorts Faf du Plessis and Dane Vilas in quick succession as South Africa lost five batsmen in the first hour of the day for 54 runs. Only JP Duminy, with a bit of luck, showed some stomach for fight during his cameo of 35 and it wasn’t long before their innings came to an end with Ashwin signing off with a caught & bowled wicket of Morne Morkel.

Perhaps secure in knowledge of a big cushion, the Indian batsmen showed unnecessary urgency and adventurism in the second innings and were packed off in 46.3 overs. Imran Tahir, who was introduced into the attack rather late as has been seen in the series so far, was the star performer with the ball for South Africa. The leg-spinner claimed the second five-wicket haul (5/38) of his career, an effort that included the scalps of Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane. Notwithstanding this impressive show with the ball, India held all the aces going into third day’s play.

In pursuit of what appears a highly unlikely target to achieve, South Africa lost opener Stiaan van Zyl and night watchman Tahir, leaving Elgar and Amla to carry out firefighting on Friday. Interestingly, it was Elgar and Amla who had begun day’s proceedings!

score board

INDIA (I Innings): 215 all out
SOUTH AFRICA (I Innings; O/n: 11/2):
 Van Zyl c Rahane b Ashwin    0
(13m, 7b)
Elgar b Ashwin    7
(38m, 35b, 1x4)
Tahir b Jadeja    4
(13m, 12b)
Amla c Rahane b Ashwin    1
(13m, 10b)
De Villiers c & b Jadeja    0
(9m, 6b)
Du Plessis b Jadeja    10
(20m, 20b, 1x4)
Duminy lbw Mishra    35
(71m, 65b, 1x4, 2x6)
Vilas b Jadeja    1
(17m, 15b)
Harmer b Ashwin    13
(19m, 10b, 2x4)
Rabada (not out)    6
(20m, 17b, 1x4)
Morkel c & b Ashwin    1
(3m, 2b)
Extras (LB-1)    1   
Total (all out, 33.1 overs)    79
Fall of wickets: 1-4 (van Zyl), 2-9 (Tahir), 3-11 (Elgar), 4-12 (Amla), 5-12 (de Villiers), 6-35 (du Plessis), 7-47 (Vilas), 8-66 (Harmer), 9-76 (Duminy).
Bowling: Ishant 2-1-4-0, Ashwin 16.1-6-32-5, Jadeja 12-3-33-4, Mishra 3-0-9-1.
INDIA (II Innings):
Vijay c Amla b Morkel    5
(20m, 15b)
Dhawan c Vilas b Tahir    39
(120m, 78b, 6x4)
Pujara b Duminy    31
(53m, 45b, 5x4)
Kohli c du Plessis b Tahir    16
(50m, 30b, 2x4)
Rahane c Duminy b Tahir    9
(14m, 13b, 1x4)
Rohit c Elgar b Morkel    23
(76m, 39b, 1x4, 1x6)
Saha c Amla b Tahir    7
(14m, 13b, 1x4)
Jadeja b Harmer    5
(4m, 6b, 1x4)
Ashwin lbw Morkel    7
(21m, 22b, 1x4)
Midhra b Tahir    14
(28m, 18b, 2x4)
Ishant (not out)    1
(4m, 3b)
Extras (B-8, Lb-5, NB-3)    16
Total (all out, 46.3 overs)    173
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Vijay), 2-52 (Pujara), 3-97 (Dhawan), 4-102 (Kohli), 5-108 (Rahane), 6-122 (Saha), 7-128 (Jadeja), 8-150 (Ashwin), 9-171 (Rohit).
Bowling: Morkel 18-5-19-3, Harmer 18-3-64-1, Rabada 5-1-15-0 (nb-1), Duminy 2-0-24-1 (nb-1), Tahir 11.3-2-38-5 (nb-1).
SOUTH AFRICA (II Innings):
Elgar (batting)    10
(52m, 42b, 1x4)
Van Zyl c Rohit b Ashwin    5
(28m, 29b)
Tahir lbw Mishra    8
(11m, 7b, 2x4)
Amla (batting)    3
(9m, 7b)
Extras (B-4, LB-1, NB-1)    6
Total (for 2 wkts, 14 overs)    32
Fall of wickets: 1-17 (van Zyl), 2-29 (Tahir).
Bowling: Ishant Sharma 3-1-6-0 (nb-1), R Ashwin 6-2-12-2, Ravindra Jadeja 4-2-6-0, Amit Mishra 1-0-3-1.

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(Published 26 November 2015, 18:47 IST)

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