The Indian team, which was looking all set to chase down 297 with a great partnership of more than 100 runs between the experienced pairing of Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, now suddenly finds itself in all sorts of bother. The team now needs 107 runs from 78 balls with two relatively less experienced batters or bowling all-rounders in Ravichandran Ashwin and Shardul Thakur at the crease. In total, India lost five wickets in 50 runs.
It was going all well with there seeming no interest at all from South Africa to take any wicket as Keshav Maharaj went routinely through his overs from one end. But it was during one such over that an arm bowl from the left-hander castled a settled Dhawan, who was batting at 79 off 0ff 84 balls. Rishabh Pant joined Kohli at the crease and helped the latter get past his 63rd fifty-plus score.
But just after his fifty, Kohli was out courtesy of a very soft dismissal as the ball hit the toe end of his bat while he was sweeping chinaman Tabraiz Shamsi and the leading edge was popped up easily by Temba Bavuma at short midwicket.
Shreyas Iyer who joined Pant added 29 for the fourth wicket, before being caught by de Kock off Lungi Ngidi for run a ball 17. De Kock was once again in action as he stumped Pant off Andile Phehlukwayo’s medium pace down the leg. Venkatesh Iyer, the debutant too lost his patience and tried to pull a short ball from Ngidi, was caught at square leg by Rassie van der Dussen.
At the time of publishing this copy, Ashwin was joined at the crease by Thakur.