India vs South Africa, 2nd Test, Day 4: As it happened

India bowled South Africa out for 258 in their second innings on Day 4 and were 35/3 chasing 287 to win the match.

File photo of India opener KL Rahul (Photo: Reuters)

Welcome back to Zee News Sports' coverage of the second Test between India and South Africa, in which the hosts have their noses in front going into the fourth day's play. Stay tuned for live updates from Centurion as action unfolds on what could be a decisive day in the match. (LIVE SCORECARD)

---

16 January 2018

21:32 PM

Lungi Ngidi (2/14) is the star of the evening at Centurion as India end the day at 35/3, still 252 behind their target of 287. Ngidi got the wickets of Virat Kohli (5) and KL Rahul (4), while Kagiso Rabada bowled Murali Vijay (4). It will be an uphill task for the visitors on the final day with Cheteshwar Pujara (11*) and Parthiv Patel (5*) coming out to resume on the fifth morning. Do join us then. Until then, goodbye! 

20:56 PM

Big blow to India's chances in this game. Virat Kohli goes for 5, finds himself helpless against a Lungi Ngidi delivery that angles in and raps him on the pads. India 26/3, in pursuit of 287. It's not looking good at all for the visitors. 

20:34 PM

There goes the second wicket for India. Soft dismissal for KL Rahul who departs for 4 off the bowling of debutant Lungi Ngidi. Really unnecessary shot as Keshav Maharaj takes a dolly at backward point. India 16/2 chasing 287 to win.

20:16 PM

India lose their first wicket. Kagiso Rabada is the perpetrator as Murali Vijay (9) plays onto this stumps. The ball kept a little low and that's how it's going to be all through this fourth innings. India 11/1 in 8 overs, need 276 runs more to win. That ball tells you what India are up against. 

20:00 PM

India start off well. Both batsmen - Murali Vijay and KL Rahul - are extremely cautious and that's how it should be. It's not that kind of wicket where you can play your shots freely. It will be great if India can finish this session without any damage. India 11/0 in five overs, need 276 more to win this Test match.

19:29 PM

South Africa bowled out for 258, leaving India 287 to win in the fourth innings. Mohammed Shami pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 4/49, while Bumrah took 3/70, Ishant 2/40 and Ashwin 1/78. De Villiers (80), Elgar (61) and Du Plessis (48) were the chief contributors for the hosts in their second innings. Remember, the highest successful chase at Centurion is 251 by England in the year 2000.

19:16 PM

Jasprit Bumrah now gets in on the act. Gets rid of Faf du Plessis for 48. The South African captain hits it straight back and Bumrah takes a one-handed catch in his follow-through. Great catch by him. It's his third wicket. South Africa 245/9, lead India by 273 runs.

19:08 PM

Mohammed Shami strikes for India, has Kagiso Rabada caught in the slips by Virat Kohli. Fourth wicket for him. South Africa 245/8, lead India by 273 runs.

18:23 PM

Indian pacers have kept them in the game even as South Africa's lead swelled to 258 at tea on Day 4. If it was Shami before lunch, it's been Ishant's spell of 2/40 post lunch that got India the wickets. Faf du Plessis, however, stays put at a patient 37 off 122 balls. With him is Rabada batting on 0*. SA's total reads 230/7.

17:58 PM

Ishant Sharma gets another wicket, has Keshav Maharaj caught behind for 6. South Africa 215/7 in 76 overs, taking their lead up to 243 runs. Still plenty of work to be done by the Indian bowlers. Remember, the highest chase to be ever achieved here is 251 by England in 2000. That doesn't sound good as far as the Indian team is concerned, does it? 

17:52 PM

The new ball hasn't been taken yet, appears to be a negative tactic from Virat Kohli. Remember, the South African bowlers did very well with the second new ball and there is no reason why the Indians can't do the same. They are already behind in this game and things can go from bad to worse with this defensive tactic, where the focus is to stop the runs instead of taking the wickets. South Africa 243/7 in 86 overs, lead India by 271 runs. 

17:43 PM

At last the breakthrough comes for the visiting team as Ishant Sharma gets the wicket of Vernon Philander, who weakly pulls straight into the hands of Murali Vijay after scoring 26. The slowness of the delivery seems to have done the job for the tall fast bowler. With the wicket, the nagging 46-run stand comes to an end. South Africa 209/6 in 73.4 overs, lead India by 237 runs.

17:07 PM

South Africa reach 200. The Indian bowlers are doing their damndest but nothing has come their way. Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli review an lbw turn-down against Faf du Plessis but nothing comes of it. Things are getting out of hand for the visiting team. South Africa 200/5 in 65 overs, take their lead up to 228. du Plessis 21*, Vernon Philander 21*. 

16:27 PM

This partnership between Faf du Plessis and Vernon Philander is slowly taking the game away from the Indians. The highest chase here came in 2000 when England chased down 251, which tells you the enormity of the task India have on their hands.  The Proteas are 187/5 right now in 60 overs, leading the Indians by 215 runs. 

15:30 PM

That's lunch. Mohammed Shami's cracking seven-over spell, in which he struck thrice, has limited South Africa's progress as the players walk into their respective dressing rooms, with the score reading 173/5 - a lead of 201 runs for the hosts. Faf du Plessis batting on 12 and Vernon Philander on 3.

15:00 PM

Shami continues to rock South Africa with his reverse swing. This time he gets De Kock (12) to nick four balls in a row - the fourth of which resulted in a caught behind by wicketkeeper Parthiv. SA 163/5, lead by 191 runs.

14:52 PM

Wicket Alert: Mohammed Shami gets another wicket. This time it's Dean Elgar his victim. Induces him to pull straight into the hands of KL Rahul at deep square leg for 61. South Africa 151/4, lead India by 179 runs. 

14:31 PM

Wicket Alert! Peach of a delivery from Mohammed Shami and De Villiers (80) could do nothing but to edge it through to Parthiv Patel. This is a much-needed breakthrough for India. SA 144/3, lead by 172 runs.

14:16 PM

Meanwhile, India skipper Virat Kohli has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for showing dissent against the umpire during the third day's play when he reportedly wasn't happy with the bad-light decision.

14:11 PM

South Africa reach 123/2 in 37 overs, but what's looking more menacing is the way AB de Villiers (73) is pacing his innings, which has helped the hosts score 33 runs in the 8 overs bowled today. Elgar too crosses fifty. So there are two well-set batsmen for India to deal with now. SA 127/2 in the 38th over. 

13:48 PM

100 up for South Africa and not much cheer for India other than a close LBW shout for Ishant, for which India didn't took a review. SA 101/2, lead by 129.

13:30 PM

There will be extended second and third sessions today and tomorrow by 15 minutes each to cover for the time lost due to rain on Day 3. In all, 98 overs on each of the last two days - weather permitting. 

13:27 PM

Bumrah (2/30) took both the wickets for India who scored 307 and conceded a first-innings lead of 28 runs. But De Villiers and Elgar pulled things back in SA's favour and will resume to push the game further beyond India, who, on the other hand, will look to bowl the hosts out for a lead of under 250.

13:18 PM

South Africa were 3/2 at one stage in their second innings but an unbroken partnership of 87 runs between AB de Villiers (50*) and Dean Elgar (36*) took their score to 90/2 when bad light forced stumps on day three, with the hosts in a comfortable lead of 118 runs.