It’s been another exciting session of play at Newlands, and picking a winner at this stage is nearly impossible. The match is in the hands of the South African bowlers, who need to make the most out of the conditions. Two days of scorching heat and the use of the heavy roller after each innings has kept the deck alive, which will see it get harder and harder to bat on.
The Proteas started the day similarly to the Indians yesterday. 21-year old Marco Jansen struck with his second delivery of the game but owes Keegan Petersen a beer or two. The man from Paarl taking a blinder at leg-slip.
It didn’t take long for Kagiso Rabada to get in on the action. He’s been steaming in with real purpose, which got the better of Ajinka Rahane. The ball bounced a bit higher than Rahane expected, and though he was originally given not out, Dean Elgar’s review revealed that it just clipped his gloves.
The rest of the session hasn’t been too fruitful for South Africa. Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli have been built a solid partnership, putting India back on the front foot. The Proteas will have to regroup at lunch and come back out with a plan.
At the lunch break, India are 130 for 4 (43) and lead by 143-runs.
Pant – 51* (60)
Kohli – 28* (127)
Marco Jansen – 2/25 (14)
