Hello! The crucial day four couldn't have begun on a brighter note as a beaming sun welcomes fans at the Newlands Cricket Ground and we welcome you back to Zee News Sports' continued coverage of the first Test between India and South Africa, which enters day four that could decide its fate.


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INDIA SECOND INNINGS (SCORECARD)


RESULTS: South Africa win by 72 runs to take 1-0 lead in the series.


8:20 pm: Back-to-back wickets for Vernon Philander (6/42) and India bowled out for 135 to lose the Test by 72 runs. Bumrah (0) the last man to be dismissed. What a performance this has been by the hosts who had lost their premier fast bowler in Dale Steyn due to injury midway through the game and still won inside four days defending a 208-run total lead. SA take 1-0 lead in the series 


8:16 pm: Spoke too soon! De Kock, standing up to Philander, collects the nick off Ashwin's bat. India's best batsman on show today with a score of 37 is walking back, and with him the last hope. India 131/8. 


8:14 pm: This parternship between Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar shows that if you gut it out to stay in the middle, scoring runs isn't impossible. They have had their lucky moments, but that's how this pitch has been throughout the Test. India 131/7, need 87 more to win.


7.45 pm: 100 up for India. Ravichandran Ashwin picks up a four off Kagiso Rabada, beautiful drive past the bowler. India 103/7. Aswin 16*, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 6*. South Africa bring on spinner Keshav Maharaj after these two batsmen looked fairly comfortable against South Africa's fast bowlers. India now need 105 more to win.


7:30 pm: Ashwin (10*) and Bhuvneshwar (4*) are trying to put up a fight and have taken the score to 95/7 post tea, but India still stare at a mountain to climb with the target still 113 runs away.


6:55 pm: That one jags back and raps Saha on the pads. Every South African went up and the umpire raises his finger. Saha-Ashwin chose to review it as it cut back sharply and could be missing the leg-stump. But it stayed umpire's call. India 82/7 at the stroke of tea.


6:36 pm: Pandya (1) sticks his bat out and pays the price. Edges Rabada straight to AB de Villiers at wide slip. This is turning into a sorry state for the Indian team now. 77/6


6:31 pm: Bowled! Rohit (10) chops Philander onto his stumps and this is turning into a collapse for India. 76/5 and still 132 runs behind their target of 208.


6:27 pm: Oh! That's a sitter dropped by Maharaj at deep square-leg. Rabada the bowler can't believe it as Rohit gets a life. But it was a nothing shot from Rohit, a half-hearted pull. India 76/4 in 23 overs.


6:21 pm: Big big blow! Just when the scorecard wore a better look at 71/3, Philander turns it 71/4 with big fish Virat Kohli (28). This could be the most decisive moment in the match. Can Pandya repeat his first-innings heroics? 


6 pm: Virat Kohli (21*) is slowly but surely getting into his groove after forgettable first innings. That drive through the covers off Morkel gets him a boundary but more importantly shows that he is finding the middle of the bat now and the feet are moving. Rohit, at the other end, is on 5. India 60/3, need 148 more to win.


5:37 pm IST: India dealt another blow as Morkel users his height and shoulder to extract extra bounce and an edge from Pujara who was in no position to play the stroke. This match is wide open now; in fact, South Africa slightly in front with India 39/3 (Target 208)


5:21 pm: Vijay walks back! Vernon Philander gets into the act and forces Vijay (13) to play at one just outside his off-stump. The Indian opener nicked it and De Villiers took the catch in the slips. India in a spot of bother now having lost both the openers at the same score. 30/2 now.


5:15 pm: Wicket for SA! Morkel gets one to rise on Dhawan (16) and at his ribs. It puts the Indian opener in an awkward position and ball lobs off an edge for an easy catch taken by Chris Morris. India 30/1, need 178 more to win.


5:09 pm: Big caught-behind shout by Philander and given by the umpire. But Vijay (12*) was confident he didn't get any wood on that, and went for the review right away. And he was right. Saved again. What a day he is having with the reviews! SA can't believe their (bad) luck. India 28/0 in 7 overs. 


5:05 pm: Barring that LBW shout, which Vijay got successfully reviewed, it's been a bright start by the Indian openers as India's 24/0 in six overs includes three boundaries. Dhawan especially aggressive with his 15 off 18 balls. Vijay on 8.


4.50 pm: What a review taken by Murali Vijay. Vernon Philander appealed for an lbw and the umpire raised his finger. However, replays showed the ball was bouncing over. Great call there by Murali Vijay. India 4/0 in pursuit of 208 runs. 


SOUTH AFRICA SECOND INNINGS


3:55 pm: That is it! India have bowled out South Africa for a mere 130 as De Villiers (35) holes out to Bhuvneshwar in the deep for Bumrah's third wicket and South Africa's last. The hosts lost 8/65 in that session. India now need just 208 to win, less than what they made in the first innings. But don't discount this pitch and SA pacers, even without Steyn. Match on!


Record Alert: Wriddhiman Saha becomes the first Indian wicketkeeper to effect 10 dismissals in a Test match.


3:52 pm: De Villiers hits Bumrah for a six, doesn't bother farming the strike for next over and SA pay the price. Bhuvneshwar makes Morkel hop and scoop it straight in the air for a simple catch by Saha. SA 130/9, lead by 207 runs.


South Africa's lead crosses the 200-run mark.


3:40 pm: Wicket Alert! Another catch for Saha, his ninth of the match, as Bhuvneshwar finds an edge off Maharaj's (12) bat with one that swung little but late. SA now 122/8, leading by 199 runs.


Maharaj is trying to be as aggressive as De Villiers (29*). He has two boundaries in his 19*. Not sure if it's the right tactic for a tailender when the score if 120/7 and you have an accomplished batsman at the other end. 


3.17 pm: Another wicket for India, Mohammed Shami's third of this session. Traps Vernon Philander in front of the wickets and the batsman reviews it. Replays show the ball is hitting the stumps and Philander goes for a duck. South Africa 95/7, now lead India by 172 runs. Excellent bowling from the Indian fast bowlers this morning. India can now back themselves to get a good result from this game. 


2:58 pm:  Another wicket! India on fire. And it's debutant Bumrah again into the act. Gets one to cut in sharply off the pitch, induces a faint edge from De Kock (8). But the umpire thought otherwise and confident Kohli went for a review straight away. Snicko showed the edge and the umpire changed his decision. OUT! SA 92/6, lead by 169 runs.


2:50 pm: Run out missed! That could be a big moment in the match as De Kock, called by AB, had given up hope of making it to the other end. Dhawan had all the time on hand to take aim but missed. 


2:47 p.m: A sharp, rising snorter from Jasprit Bumrah and du Plessis had no answer to it, could only edge it to Wriddhiman Saha. India on a roll here as the SA skipper is dismissed for a duck. SA wobbling now at 82/5, leading India by 159.


2:40 pm: AB de Villiers (13) isn't holding back despite the fall of wickets around him, upper-cuts Shami for a six as he and skipper Faf du Plessis try to build up a partnership. SA 81/4, lead India by 158 runs


2:30 pm: India's plan works again! Rabada (5) the nightwatchman is walking back as Shami gets his second wicket off the morning with a nice rising ball on off-stump that finds the edge and skipper Kohli complte a fine catch. SA 73/4, leading India by 150.


2:25 pm: De Villiers gets going and breaks the shackles with a nice flick to the on-side fence. Nightwatchman Rabada hanging in there as Kohli puts more men close-in whenever he's on strike. SA 73/3 in 25 overs.


2:08 p.m. Early drama on day four as a doubtful catch by Rohit Sharma at fourth slip invites a review from TV umpire Paul Reiffel. Amla (4) the batsman in question, Shami the bowler. So it's a big wicket. And after much deliberation, it's been given out. What a start for India. That's a big fish caught. SA 66/3, lead India by 143.


1:50 pm: As we move closer to start of play, a reminder that the day will have 98 overs with extended second and fourth sessions. 



1:32 pm: It will be interesting to see if the Indian pacers can extract something out of the pitch as there will be some overnight juice in it after a full day of rain. In that aspect, Bhuvneshwar will once again be looked up to for early wickets.


1:25 pm: After a washout on day four, there is anticipation all around with weather clearing up for an on-time start on the fourth day when SA will resume from their 65/2, leading India by 142 runs. 



1:20 pm: After eventful first two days that saw 22 wickets falling, the third day didn't witness even a single ball being bowled due to relentless rain. The teams came to the venue and left around three hours before regulation close of play when the umpires decided to call off the day.