By stumps on day three, South Africa lead India by 314 runs. The home side is unlikely to recover with South Africa’s bowlers in top form and India’s batting fragile.
The Proteas’ dominance ensures they are just a few sessions away from potentially batting India out and securing a historic series win in India—a feat not easily achieved by visiting sides. India now face immense pressure to prevent a second consecutive home series defeat within 12 months, a scenario that has not occurred in over a decade.
Marco Jansen used aggressive short-pitched bowling and bouncers to completely destabilize India. Even on a pitch offering some assistance to spinners, the pace and bounce of Jansen proved decisive.
India’s openers started well, reaching 65 without loss, but Jansen’s deadly bouncers quickly removed key wickets, including Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jasprit Bumrah. Jaiswal, who looked set to score, fell to a sharp catch by Jansen at backward point.
Captain Rishabh Pant tried to counterattack post-tea, but Jansen’s consistent pace, bounce, and accuracy prevented any meaningful partnerships from forming. Only Jaiswal and Washington offered resistance, but they too were eventually out.
