An unbroken stand of 133 between captain Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane inflated India’s lead to 403 against South Africa on the third day today of the fourth and final Test.
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South Africa stuttered early in their chase, losing Dean Elgar (four) to Ravichandran Ashwin to be 5-1 at lunch.
Here are the live updates. Ajinkya Rahane remained unbeaten on 100, which was his second century of the match.
Skipper Virat Kohli (88) must be a disappointed man as he missed out on a well-deserved 12th Test hundred, managing to add only five runs to his overnight score of 83. India on the other hand will look for a quick breakthrough. He did not slow down after crossing 80-run mark.
Rahane exhibited crackling form in the first session, lofting off-spinner Dane Piedt for two sixes in three balls, including one that sailed over the long-off fence.
Then, keeping his cool, he dealt in singles and twos to notch up his second ton of the mtach and second on home soil.
The hosts though were never in any real trouble with a 213-run first innings lead keeping them on top throughout.
India lead the four-match series 2-0.
After playing out a maiden from Abbott first up, Rahane got going with an uppish slap past point, off Morne Morkel, for India’s first boundary of the morning.
With the Kotla pitch likely to deteriorate on the fourth and fifth days, it will be an uphill task for the Proteas to breach India’s run wall.
“The way we batted in the first innings has put us in a good position”, said Ravindra Jadeja, who took a five-wicket haul in the first innings.
First innings centurion Rahane, who survived several hard moments with superb determination, gathered most of his runs square of the wicket on either side. “This made the big difference”.
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Dhawan and Pujara looked largely unperturbed against the South African bowlers and will return after the break hoping to bat South Africa out of the contest. Morkel and Kyle Abbott stuck to an impressive line and length and enjoyed whatever movement they got off the surface. That’s something you have to do when the pitch is not helping you too much and there’s only little bit in the air. You’ve got to make the most of what you have got… His torrid run in the series continued as he saw his off-stump uprooted by Morkel on the very first ball he faced. Shikhar Dhawan (21) and Cheteshwar Pujara (28) dug in until tea, the former on his 30th birthday, but when they were castled by Morkel and Imran Tahir respectively, India were languishing on 57-4.
