15:37 Amla steers South Africa to 81-3 at lunch:
SA 81-3 (31 ovs) vs India 187 | Scorecard
Nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada’s stubborn resistance left the Indians frustrated on a lively wicket in the morning session on Day 2.
Rabada played a handy innings of 30, adding 64 runs for the third wicket with Hashim Amla, who was unbeaten on 32 at the break.
South Africa reached 81 for three in 31 overs at the lunch interval in reply to India’s 187 all out.
The hosts managed to score at a good rate, as they added 75 runs in 25 overs, while losing two wickets in the morning session.
Bhuvneshwar struck early on the second day when he had Dean Elgar caught behind for four but Rabada kept the Indian bowlers at bay as the hosts weathered the storm in the first hour.
The pacers got a lot of assistance but they failed to find the edge, especially Rabada, who was beaten quite a lot, but somehow managed to hang on.
India will be looking to claim a few quick wickets after the break or else South Africa could run away with the match with a big lead in the first innings.
15:24 Rabada out for 30, SA lose 3rd wicket:
SA 80-3 (30 ovs) vs India 187 | Scorecard
Bhuvneshwar comes back as Amla gets a thick outside edge which goes on the bounce through the slips for two runs followed by a single.
Rabada growing in confidence as he takes a couple of steps down and whacks Bhuvi through the covers for a four. He clips the next ball uppishly through midwicket for two runs as Vijay fumbles while fielding the ball.
Another change as Ishant comes in from the other end. Amla again shuffles a long way and is hit on the pads but the leg before appeal is turned down.
India take the review but the decision stays with the umpire’s call as the ball is going on to clip the top of the stumps.
Ishant gets Rabada to edge the last ball but it flies wide of the slips and goes for a four to take his score to 30.
Amla also looking to take control as he plays a nice drive through the covers off Bhuvneshwar for a four.
In the next over, Ishant gets one to bounce extra off the crack as Amla is hit on the body trying to defend it. He immediately calls for the physio after taking a blow on his ribs as the ball bounced off length.
Amla then gets back at the bowler with back to back boundaries. He clips the second ball fine on the leg side for a four and then clips the next ball uppishly over square leg for another boundary.
A single to Amla before Ishant makes the breakthrough with the wicket of Rabada.
Sent in as the nightwatchman Rabada has done his job with a vital innings of 30, before a thick outside edge was nicely snapped up by Rahane at gully.
15:04 Nighwatchman Rabada frustrates India:
SA 52-2 (26 ovs) vs India 187 | Scorecard
Shami struggling with his rhythm as he bowls another big wide outside the off-stump to Amla.
Two balls later, he bowls it on the pads as Amla flicks it through square leg for three runs.
The last ball is beauty as Rabada is beaten yet again as the ball moves away and also bounced quite a bit.
Amla looks to break the shackles. He goes after a short ball from Bumrah but gets a top edge which flies over the slips and goes for a four.
But the last ball comes off the middle as Amla crashes it square through the off-side for the second four of the over.
Rabada slowly getting his eye in. He makes most of some width from Shami, hitting the pacer through the covers for his third four of the innings.
Rabada looks to pull Bumrah but can’t get hold of it as it falls short of the fielder at midwicket. The last ball again moves away and beats Rabada, who has a poke at it.
Amla continues to shuffle across and get himself outside the line of the off-stump. The shine has worn off the ball which is 25 overs old now and batting has become a little bit easier now.
Rabada plays another cracking shot as he flicks a full delivery from Bumrah through midwicket for a four to take South Africa past the 150-run mark, in the 26th over.
14:45
SA 29-2 (20 ovs) vs India 187 | Scorecard
It will be interesting how the likes of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers cope with the fast bowlers on this lively wicket.
Rabada continues to play and miss as Ishant beats him a few times in the 14th over.
Amla gets off the mark with a single through point before Rabada is beaten a couple of times outside the off-stump by Bhuvneshwar.
Ishant has a couple of shouts turned down against Amla as the inswinger strikes him on the pads but the impact was just outside the line of the off-stump.
He then fends a short ball on the leg side for a single before Rabada continues to be beaten. The pacers are keeping a line just outside the off-stump and Rabada has already been beaten so many times in the morning.
Amla looks to shuffle and get outside the line of the off-stump as he watchfully sees off an over from Bhuvneshwar.
Jasprit Bumrah comes into the attack in place of Ishant. Rabada chips one on the leg side which evades the fielder at short leg for a single.
Bumrah then leaves Amla all at sea with some superb outswingers, who shuffles outside the off-stump and is beaten quite a few times.
South Africa’s batsmen have enjoyed all the luck today with the ball not finding the edge despite coming close on so many occasion.
Mohammed Shami comes into the attack to replace Bhuvneshwar. He starts with one down the leg side as Parthiv does well with the dive to stop before Rabada is beaten off the next ball.
Shami then bowls a short ball way down the leg side and even Parthiv can’t get to it to concede five wides.
Another short ball on the leg side as Rabada picks up a leg bye as Shami makes a poor start.
After being beaten so many times, Rabada plays a wonderful shot. Bumrah overpitches on the stumps as the left-hander flicks it in some style through midwicket for a four.
Rabada is starting to frustrate the Indians now, having spent 52 balls at the crease already while scoring 11 runs. He has managed to see off the shine of the new ball after being sent in as the nightwatch late on Day 1.
South Africa are scoring slowly like the Indians did at the start of their innings to reach 29 for two in 20 overs.
India have done well to keep the South Africans tied up in the first over, conceding just 23 runs in 14 overs, while picking up the wicket of Elgar.
SA 16-2 (13 ovs) vs India 187 | Scorecard
Rabada misses the flick yet again but ends up getting a single. Elgar continues to fish outside the off-stump and is beaten again by Bhunveshwar. He gets the edge off the last ball but it falls short of the slips.
Rabada struggling against the moving ball as Ishant bowls a couple of away moving deliveries which beats the left-hander.
The fifth ball is on the pads and Rabada punches it through square leg for a couple of runs.
In the next over, Rabada gets a thick outside edge which flies past the slips for a four before he is beaten again later in the over.
Bhuvneshwar makes the breakthrough with the wicket of Elgar, who finally gets the edge and is caught behind for four.
Hashim Amla gets a full delivery first up which he defends and then blocks the last two balls.
SA 7-1 (8 ovs) vs India 187 | Scorecard
No surprise that Bhuvneshwar opens the bowling for India on Day 2. The first ball slants across Dean Elgar, who offers no shot. The second ball is on the stumps and moves as Elgar is squared up but he does well to block it.
Bhuvneshwar switches to round the wicket. Elgar is committed to the poke and is beaten and again off the next ball.
The fifth ball is a beauty, getting some extra movement to beat the left-hander and he repeats it off the last ball to end a splendid first over.
A surprise decision to bring in Ishant Sharma from the other end. He starts with one down the leg side to Kagiso Rabada and the next one as the left-hander looks to flick but misses and picks a leg bye.
The fourth ball moves away quite a bit as Elgar gets the edge but it falls short of the slip fielder.
The next ball bounces quite a bit after pitching as Elgar watches it go through before he is beaten off the last ball.
A tough couple of overs to start off the second day for Elgar.
12:44 India aim for early wickets on Day 2:
SA 6-1 (6 ovs) vs India 187 | Scorecard
Welcome to the coverage of Day 2 of the third and final Test between South Africa and India in Johannesburg on Thursday.
After their below-par performance with the bat on the opening day, India would be keen to pick a few early wickets and look to make a comeback in the contest.
Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada took three wickets as South Africa bowled India out for 187 to take the opening day honours on a seaming wicket.
South Africa were six for one in reply at the close, with opener Dean Elgar (4) and nightwatchman Rabada (0) to resume on Thursday as the hosts look to build a sizeable first innings lead on a difficult pitch.
Aiden Markram (2) was the only South African wicket to fall as he edged a delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, with the pitch giving plenty of encouragement to both sides’ all-seam attacks.
India, who won the toss and elected to bat, were bowled out for 187 in their first innings.
The key wicket was that of Virat Kohli (54), though he was twice dropped off relatively simple chances when on 11 and 34.
Cheteshwar Pujara (50) was the only other Indian batsman to post a half-century, with his patient innings taking 179 deliveries as he tried to stifle the home attack.
Rabada (3-39) was perhaps the pick of the home bowlers, both fast and accurate. He removed opener Murali Vijay (8), caught by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, before grabbing the wickets of Ishant Sharma (0) and the stubborn Bhuvneshwar Kumar (30).
Morne Morkel (2-47) and Vernon Philander (2-31) also chipped in with wickets but were guilty at times of bowling with too much width, failing to make the batsmen play.
The home side had already claimed the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead but are chasing a first clean-sweep against India.
Source: Rediff