South Africa couldn’t have asked for a better start to the third day of this deciding Test against India in Cape Town.
India began the day at 57/2 but Marco Jansen took just two deliveries to provide his team with the first breakthrough as he sent Cheteshwar Pujara packing to the pavilion after he just clipped a short delivery around the leg stump channel uppishly and found Keegan Petersen who was stationed at leg gully.
Petersen held on to a blinder diving towards his right and grabbing a one-handed stunner. Later, Kagiso Rabada got into the act and removed Ajinkya Rahane for a 9-ball 1 as the right-hander’s woes with the bat continued. India were left tottering at 58/4.
Earlier, India took a first innings lead on Day 2 after bowling out South Africa for 210 in reply to the visitors’ 223. The Virat Kohli-led side then had a dismal start to the second innings after the openers KL Rahul and Mayan Agarwal departed early. The three-match series is presently levelled at 1-1.