The hosts India are on the verge of completing whitewash in the three-match home Test series against South Africa after dominating the day three of the Ranchi Test. Before this third and final Test match of this series, India already won the first two matches of this series.
While India scored 497/9 decl. in their first innings, South Africa scored just 162 runs in their first innings. At the stumps of day three, South Africa were batting on 132/8 in their following-on innings.
South Africa started the day three on their overnight first innings score of 9/2. On the fifth ball of the day, Proteas captain Faf du Plessis lost his wicket after Umesh Yadav’s superb delivery bowled him. South Africa went down to 16/3 after that wicket.
Another overnight batsman Zubayr Hamza fought hard with Temba Bavuma in that tough situation and managed that moment very well. In his third Test innings, Hamza registered his maiden fifty in 56 balls. Hamza and Bavuma brilliantly built up a strong partnership of 91 runs for the fourth wicket.
The left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja broke that partnership after he bowled Hamza who was batting on 62 runs off 79 balls. He hit 10 fours and only six in that innings.
South Africa faced a big collapse
The 31-year-old international debutant Shahbaz Nadeem got his first international wicket in his fourth over while he yet to concede a run. Nadeem dismissed Bavuma (32 runs) through the stumping and has opened his Test wicket account.
The next Proteas batsmen failed to stop that collapse. Test debutant Heinrich Klassen lost his wicket on six runs after Jadeja bowled him. At lunch, South Africa were batting on 129/6.
Apart from the debutant George Linde, none of the other tailenders reached even the five runs mark. Linde and Anrich Norje were batting very patiently as they put 32 runs in around 18 overs.
Linde scored 37 runs before Umesh Yadav dismissed him. In the next over, South Africa ended their first innings after Nadeem dismissed Nortje who scored four runs off 55 balls.
Among the Indian bowlers, Umesh Yadav (3/40) picked up three wickets while Mohammed Shami (2/22), Shahbaz Nadeem (2/22) and Ravindra Jadeja (2/19) scalped two wickets each.
Leading by 335 runs, India forced the visitors to follow-on.
Theunis de Bruyn came to bat as a concussion substitute for the visitors
There was no improvement during South Africa’s second innings (following on) of this match. At tea, the visitors were struggling on 26/4. Opener Quinton de Kock (5), Zubayr Hamza (0), captain Faf du Plessis (4) and Temba Bavuma (0) all lost their wickets cheaply.
The second session ended early after another Proteas opener Dean Elgar received a massive blow on his helmet when he was facing Umesh Yadav. Elgar immediately fell on the ground. Physio quickly came on the field and checked him. After that, Elgar decided to retire-hurt.
At early of the third session, Heinrich Klassen lost his wicket cheaply again. Umesh Yadav trapped him for lbw while he just managed to score five runs.
The visitors lost their wickets at regular intervals in that session. After George Linde (27 runs) lost his wicket in a run-out, Theunis de Bruyn came to bat as the concussion substitute of injured Dean Elgar.
Later, Dane Piedt (23 runs) and Kagiso Rabada (12 runs) lost their wickets but de Bruyn (30*) remained not out till the end of the day. At the stumps of the day, de Bruyn was batting with Nortje (5 not out).
In that innings, Mohammed Shami (3/10) picked up three wickets while Umesh Yadav (2/35) bagged two wickets. Spinner Ravindra Jadeja (1/36) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/28) took one wicket each.
In the second half of the last session, Rishabh Pant kept wicket for India as a replacement of injured Wriddhiman Saha.