India vs South Africa, 3rd Test Day 3: Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli lift visitors after early blows

At the lunch break, India’s score read 130/4 — with the visitors leading by 143 runs.

Pant (51 not out) and Kohli (28 not out) are currently unbeaten at the crease. Both Kohli and Pant have extended their fifth-wicket partnership to 72 runs.

Resuming Day 3 at 57/2, India was given a body blow in the very first over as Cheteshwar Pujara (9) was sent back to the pavilion by Marco Jansen.

Keegan Petersen pulled off a stunner of a catch at leg-slip and Pujara was sent packing, bringing Ajinkya Rahane to the middle.

In the next over bowled by Kagiso Rabada, Ajinkya Rahane (1) was dismissed and India was reduced to 58/4, with the visitors’ lead being just 71.

Rabada bowled a snorter of a ball which caught Rahane’s gloves and Dean Elgar took a rebound catch.

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant joined Kohli in the middle and the duo saw out the spells of Rabada and Jansen. Kohli took on the anchor role, while Pant dispatched the loose balls for boundaries.

In the end, both batters ensured that India does not lose any more wickets before the lunch interval.

Tough task for SA

South African batter Keegan Petersen feels the Indian pace attack is the “most challenging” bowling attack he has faced in his career.

Jasprit Bumrah’s dominant bowling performance backed up by a gritty batting performance by Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli helped India recover some lost ground against South Africa on Day 2 of the ongoing third Test here at Newlands, Cape Town.

Petersen pointed out the pace battery of India keeps the South African batters on their toes every time and the hosts need to be focused while facing them.

“It’s (the Indian pace attack) extremely challenging. It’s the most challenging I’ve had in my whole career. You have to be focused and on your mark all the time or else they will expose you,” said Petersen in the press conference after the end of the day’s play.

“They test you in terms of scoring, there’s not much scoring opportunities. They have not given us much. They are arguably one of the best bowling attacks in the world. We knew that coming into the series, it’s been challenging, we just got to deal with it,” he added.

Brief Scores: India 223 and 130/4 (Rishabh Pant 51 not out, Virat Kohli 28 not out; Marco Jansen 2- 25); South Africa 210.