Rishabh Pant slams fantastic ton but South Africa ahead chasing 212 in Cape Town

South Africa dominated Day 3 of the Cape Town Test against India despite a splendid century from Rishabh Pant. However, the wicket of Dean Elgar (30) with what turned out to be the last ball of the day’s play lifted India’s spirits. Having successfully overturned an lbw decision earlier in his innings, Elgar perished caught down the leg side off Jasprit Bumrah. Virat Kohli went for a review and India managed to overturn the original decision of not out.

Elgar and Keegan Petersen (48*) featured in a crucial second-wicket stand of 78 as the Proteas ended the day on 101 for 2 in a chase of 212. The Proteas skipper was his resolute self until he was dismissed while young Petersen impressed again, hitting seven fours in his fluent knock.

India thought they had the big scalp of Elgar on 22 as he was given out lbw to Ravichandran Ashwin. However, the Proteas captain took the review and survived as ball tracking showed the delivery was missing the stumps. Kohli couldn’t believe what he saw and kicked the turf in frustration.

Earlier, Aiden Markram (16) fell to his nemesis Mohammed Shami again. Having just edged one past the slip cordon, he nicked an outswinger and was smartly caught by KL Rahul at third slip. However, skipper Elgar and Petersen soon gained control of proceedings.

For India, Pant hit a splendid 100* off 139 balls, his fourth Test ton. But the other Indian batters failed again as the visitors were all out for 198 in 67.3 overs. Marco Jansen impressed once more with 4 for 36, while Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi claimed three each.

Pant was the only Indian batter to look in control on a challenging batting surface. He hit six fours and four sixes, scoring at an excellent strike rate of 71.94. The 24-year-old looked positive from the moment he came in, after India lost Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane cheaply again. He got off the mark by pulling Rabada over square leg for four and in the same over, found another boundary through cover point.

The southpaw was severe on left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, slapping him for three sixes. The first one came when Pant cleared long-on by charging down the track. He eased to his fifty off 58 balls with a couple off Jansen. In the second session, Pant clobbered Maharaj for consecutive maximums. After slog-sweeping the spinner, he danced down the track and lofted the next ball over long-off.

With wickets falling at the other end, Pant muscled Duanne Olivier for a six and a four to reach 87. He got to a much-deserved hundred by whipping Jansen for a single to long leg. The left-hander couldn’t add to his tally, though, as the Indian innings ended soon after.

India's batting falters around Pant’s brilliance

Pant scored 50.51 percent of India’s runs in the second innings, which tells you how poor the contribution from the remaining batters was. Kohli scored a patient 29 and featured in a 94-run stand for the fifth wicket with India's keeper-batter. However, the visitors completely lost their way after that, as six wickets fell for the addition of only 46 runs.

India were dealt a big blow at the very start as Pujara (9) was strangled down leg by Jansen, with Petersen completing a splendid diving catch at leg slip. Rahane (1) fell to a peach from Rabada, gloving the South African pacer to slip. Kohli batted with resolve yet again, in the company of a free-flowing Pant. The duo took India to Lunch at 130 for 4.

Kohli’s defiant knock was ended by Ngidi, who got the Indian skipper to edge a drive and Markram at second slip did the rest. There was no resistance from the lower half of the batting as Ravichandran Ashwin (7), Shardul Thakur (5), Umesh Yadav (0), Mohammed Shami (0) and Jasprit Bumrah (2) left Pant stranded.

Unless the bowlers can pull off something spectacular on Day 4 in Cape Town, India might end up ruing another batting collapse.