Cape Town: Mohammed Shami struck crucial blows as India gained upper hand against South Africa in the second session on Day 2 of the ongoing third Test here at Newlands, Cape Town on Wednesday.
At the tea break, South Africa's score read 176/7 -- with the hosts still trailing by 47 runs. Keegan Petersen (70*) is currently unbeaten at the crease.
Resuming the second session on Day 2 at 100/3, Keegan Petersen and Rassie van der Dussen (21) added 12 more runs to the total before the latter was scalped by Umesh Yadav in the 40th over with Proteas still trailing by 111 runs.
Temba Bavuma joined Petersen in the middle and the duo scored runs at a brisk pace as South Africa got back into the match. In the 50th over, Cheteshwar Pujara dropped a catch of Bavuma, and to put insult to injury, South Africa ended up having five bonus runs as the ball rolled onto the helmet behind the wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Finally, the partnership was broken by Mohammed Shami as he had Bavuma (28) caught at the hands of Virat Kohli at the second slip. Two balls later, Shami dismissed Kyle Verreynne (0) and South Africa found itself at 159/6, still trailing India by 64 runs. Right on the cusp of tea break, Jasprit Bumrah clean bowled Marco Jansen (7).
On the opening day of the Test, India was bowled out for 223 with skipper Virat Kohli top-scoring with a knock of 79. Kagiso Rabada scalped four wickets for the Proteas.
Brief Scores: India 223 all out; South Africa 176/7 (Keegan Petersen 70*, Temba Bavuma 28; Jasprit Bumrah 3-29).
ANI
