India vs South Africa, 3rd Test, Day 3, live cricket score: Bhuvi, Shami extend IND’s lead after Rahane’s 48

Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli took India further ahead on the third day of the third and final Test against South Africa despite increasing concern about the condition of the pitch. The visitors lost two wickets in the first five overs of the morning but Vijay and Kohli showed resolve in difficult conditions to add 43 runs for the fourth wicket before Vijay was bowled by Kagiso Rabada with the last ball before lunch. Ajinkya Rahane and Bhuvneshwar Kumar batted sensibly after Kohli’s dismissal and consolidated India’s lead. LIVE SCORECARD ) ( ) ( )

19:04 hrs IST: SIX! Back of a length delivery from Rabada, Shami comes forward and smacks it over wide mid-on for a maximum. What a shot!

18:55 hrs IST: SIX! Short delivery from Morkel and Shami pulls it hard over the deep square leg boundary. Wow!

18:50 hrs IST: Yes, dropped catches do hurt!

Amazing skills from Ajinkya Rahane and Bhuvneshwar Kumar , truly Dabangg. The resolve and determination will make every cricket lover proud, even though SA have been sloppy

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) January 26, 2018

18:45 hrs IST: OUT! That’s a big wicket for South Africa. Morne Morkel gets the better of Ajinkya Rahane. He scored 48. Credit to the Mumbaikar. He has done his job.

18:39 hrs IST: 200 is up for India as they take three runs off the first over after tea. India are 202/6 after 66 overs.

18:33 hrs IST: And the final session of the day is about to begin. Rahane and Bhuvi will no doubt look to continue batting and get the lead past 200 now.

18:11 hrs IST: And that’s tea. Good session for India despite Kohli and Pandya’s wicket. Rahane and Bhuvi have put the visitors in a solid position. The hosts will surely find the going hard in the fourth innings. Join us in 20 minutes for the final session.

17:55 hrs IST: Expensive over from Phehlukwayo, eleven runs off it. India are 193/6, lead by 186. Rahane 41*, Bhuvi 22*

17:49 hrs IST: Andile Phehlukwayo comes into the attack for the first time in the innings. Can he strike?

17:44 hrs IST: Sensible batting from Bhuvneshwar, giving full support to Rahane. India’s lead is nearing 200.

17:37 hrs IST: FOUR! Length ball from Rabada and Bhuvneshwar lifts it over mid-off. Superb! India are 175/6, lead by 168.

17:30 hrs IST: Every run is important here. South Africa need to get India all out quickly.

17:25 hrs IST: FOUR! Full and wide from Rabada and Rahane drives it through cover point. India are 159/6, lead by 152.

17:18 hrs IST: Meanwhile, the Indo-Hungarian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Timea Babos have defeated Marcelo Demoliner and Martinez Sanchez to enter the Australian Open mixed doubles final.

17:14 hrs IST: OUT! And Pandya departs. Rabada takes a neat catch in his follow through. Third wicket for him. Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes to the crease. India need a partnership here.

17:10 hrs IST: Time for drinks. So far so good for India. Their lead is inching towards 150.

17:09 hrs IST: Some former international players feel the pitch conditions are getting too dangerous for play to continue.

“It’s almost an accident waiting to happen,” said former South African captain Kepler Wessels.

Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding recalled a Test between the West Indies and England in Jamaica in 1998 which was abandoned because of a dangerous pitch.

“That was a total fiasco, this isn’t far off,” he said.

17:02 hrs IST: FOUR! Too straight from Philander and Rahane hits it past the non-striker for his fifth boundary. Another good over for India, eleven runs off it. They are 147/5, lead by 140.

16:57 hrs IST: FOUR! Full delivery from Philander, swings away, and Rahane drives it between cover and mid off. Moves into 20s.

16:54 hrs IST: Great over from Rabada. Only one run and a wicket. India are 136/5, lead by 129

16:50 hrs IST: WICKET! Magnificent delivery from Rabada, moves back in off the pitch and hits Kohli’s off stump. Hardik Pandya is the next man in.

16:44 hrs IST: FOUR! Another fuller delivery from Morkel, on Rahane’s pads, and the India No. 5 flicks it through mid-wicket. Good over for the visitors, eight runs off it. India are 133/4, lead by 125.

16:41 hrs IST: FOUR! Full and wide from Morkel and Rahane hits it in the air over extra cover. This is excellent from Rahane. Needs to keep going!

16:31 hrs IST: FOUR! Short and wide from Philander, Rahane gets into position early and hits it over the point region for his first boundary of the day. India are 122/4, lead by 115.

16:27 hrs IST: FOUR! Full and straight from Philander, asking to be hit, and Kohli times it sweetly through cover. Moves to 39.

16:21 hrs IST: FOUR! Short of a length delivery from Philander, width on offer, Kohli opens the bat face and guides it to backward point boundary. India’s lead has gone past 100.

16:16 hrs IST: This could be a match defining partnership. Another 60-70 odd runs and India would be in the driver’s seat.

16:11 hrs IST: Welcome back! Rahane to face the first ball. Rabada to resume the proceedings.

15:30 hrs IST: OUT! And Rabada strikes, gets rid of Vijay with a yorker. Once again, he fails to get a big score. India are 100/4 at lunch, with a lead of 93. Join is 40 minutes for the second session!

15:15 hrs IST: Another’s captain’s innings from Kohli. India desperately need a win going into the ODI and T20I series against a team that has hardly lost a series at home.

15:08 hrs IST: Single for Kohli and he moves into 20s. India are 93/3, lead by 86.

15:05 hrs IST: FOUR! Overpitched from Ngidi and Kohli creams it to long-on boundary. Looks in top from!

15:01 hrs IST: The Indian opener seems fine. Play set to resume. Meanwhile, Kohli and du Plessis were seem having a chat with the umpires (about the pitch?).

14:58 hrs IST: Vijay has been hit on his left hand. Calls for the physio. We’ll keep you posted!

14:47 hrs IST: FOUR! Full and wide from Ngidi, Kohli gets on the front foot and caresses it through cover. Brilliant!

14:43 hrs IST: FOUR! Shortish delivery from Rabada and it’s enough for Kohli to hit a flat-batted pull to the long-on boundary. Moves to eight. India are 71/3, lead by 64

14:36 hrs IST: STAT ATTACK – Jasprit Bumrah’s 5/54 was the third best bowling figures recorded by an Indian cricket team pacer in South Africa after Javagal Srinath’s 6/76 at Port Elizabeth in the 2001-02 series, and 5/40 by S Sreesanth at Johannesburg in 2006-07.

14:30 hrs IST: Time for drinks. Only 18 runs have been scored off the first 12 overs. Excellent bowling from Philander and co.. The next hour is going to be very crucial.

14:19 hrs IST: It continues to get tough for Kohli and Vijay. Get a feeling something is going to happen here. India are 64/3, lead by 57.

14:14 hrs IST: Uneven bounce and Vijay continues to leave. Batting is getting tougher and tougher with each ball. India are 63/3, lead by 56.

14:08 hrs IST: FOUR! Gentle half-volley from Philander, Kohli leans forward and drives it through cover for his first boundary of the day.

14:04 hrs IST: Chris Lynn provided a vignette of the modern package of robust cricket that IPL is, with his stunning catch to dismiss AB de Villiers in 2014. The Aussie, body arced back and contorted somehow landed inside the rope with ball in hand, as KKR beat RCB on way to their second title. But IPL has also hugely valued its vintage performers. And a small band of 35-plus players will be keen to show where they stand in the player auction at the weekend. An interesting !

13:58 hrs IST: In walks Virat Kohli. The India captain is the main man here. He needs to put on a partnership with Vijay or else, a 3-0 defeat could well be on the cards.

13:56 hrs IST: WICKET! Rising short of length delivery from Morkel, Pujara looks to defend but gets the shoulder of the bat and du Plessis does the rest at second slip.

13:52 hrs IST: Only three runs have been scored off the first four overs. India need some quick runs here or else pressure will pile up. They are 52/2, Vijay 15*, Pujara 1*

13:49 hrs IST: First runs of the day for Pujara, not convincing though. Gets an inside edge towards backward square leg for a single. He gets off the mark off his fourth ball this innings.

13:46 hrs IST: Morkel has been asking a lot of questions to the Indian batsmen. Faf needs to persist with him in order to get quick wickets. Philander continues.

13:43 hrs IST: And straightaway, there’s a change in bowling. Morne Morkel comes into the attack.

13:39 hrs IST: OUT! And Philander has got his man. Rahul departs. Full and wide outswinger, the India batsman reached out and edged it to the fielder at second slip. Poor shot! Wasn’t needed. Cheteshwar Pujara comes to the crease.

13:35 hrs IST: Tidy over to start off from Rabada. The key is to make both batsmen play every ball. India are 51/2, lead by 44. Vernon Philander comes into the attack.

13:31 hrs IST: Time for live action. Vijay to take strike. Rabada to start the proceedings. It’s going to be an exciting day. First two sessions could well decide the course of the game.

13:15 hrs IST: Anything around 200 would be difficult to chase on this track. Both Murali Vijay and KL Rahul looked positive yesterday and the management would hope they continue their solid show.

13:00 hrs IST: Hello and welcome to HT’s live coverage of the Day 3 of the third and final Test between South Africa and India at Johannesburg.

India have endured a torrid time in the series in South Africa. In Cape Town, they were dismissed for under 200 in both innings while another collapse in Centurion resulted in the side losing a series for the first time in two years and prolonging their overseas woes. On day 2 of the third Test, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were the stars for India as they wrecked the South African batting to give the side a chance to salvage some pride.

Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored a gritty fifty, said a total near 200 would be equivalent to 300 on day 1. With the pitch continuing to assist the pacers, India’s batting will hinge on how Virat Kohli and the lower middle order bat. However, with five pacers in the side, South Africa will be determined to expose the weakness of the visitor’s batting line-up. A target in excess of 200 will be very hard for South Africa to chase on this deck.

For the record, India have never lost a Test in Johannesburg, drawing three games and winning one in 2006. That victory was their first-ever in South Africa and in 2018, they could have a chance yet again.

HT