India 8 wickets away from series win against South Africa

Pluck is what a batsman needed on this diabolical surface to put bat to ball.

South Africa, chasing 310 runs, were 32 for two at stumps on the second day, their nine-year unbeaten record on the road under serious threat.

12 Runs South Africa had scored when they lost their fifth wicket in their first innings – the lowest score for which they have lost half their side in Tests.

# With his below average performance, Virat Kohli has earned a dubious distinction.

“If you’re winning the series, it is easy to criticise the pitch, but when you’re behind in the series, it is hard to criticise the pitch”.

The Indian batsmen were not afraid to charge Harmer, but he also thwarted them by varying the trajectory of the ball. Ashwin set the tone in the first over of the day with a delightful first over. Perhaps the South African skipper knew what many around the world would have already guessed – Morkel had plenty of class to shine on his own. Score 36/6 (Duminy 14*, Vilas 0*) India missed out on another opportunity, again off Ashwin ” s bowling, when Wriddhiman Saha missed out on a stumping chance. Another opportunity presented itself immediately. This is also the third lowest Test total by any team in India. More recently, 23 wickets fell in 2011 in Cape Town (on Day 2, Australia vs South Africa).

Resuming the second day at 11/2, the visitors ran into trouble straight away without adding to their overnight score when Dean Elgar got an inside edge onto his stumps while attempting an expansive cut off Ashwin in the very first over.

Skipper Hashim Amla’s poor form continued as he fell to Ashwin for just 1. Going for an uncharacteristic sweep, the ball brushed Amla’s arm and looped up after hitting the back of the bat. “I’m prepared for any kind of Bangalore wicket come this Test match”, added de Villiers. A Ravindra Jadeja delivery stopped and turned as AB tried to work it around, only to spoon a return catch.

Earlier, the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja wreaked havoc as India extinguished South Africa’s first innings for a mere 79 runs. India will now be battling against time to force a result in this game while South Africa have a slight window of opportunity to stay in the contest.

Faf du Plessis had made 0,1 and 0 in the first two Tests and did better this time but only slightly.

Initially Amla preferred JP Duminy over Tahir. He was putting up a strong resistance, showing excellent footwork, good reach, and quick reflexes off the back-foot.

On any other wicket, he would have eyed a century – but not here.

Simon Harmer’s dismissal was comical. One short delivery from Morkel took so long to arrive that Vijay simply hung back and swatted it to the wide mid-on boundary, and even the short stuff from Kagiso Rabada, who had harried the Indian batsmen in the limited-overs games, was easily dealt with by Dhawan.

Clearly unamused by all the talk around the pitches, not just in India but overseas as well, R Ashwin questioned the logic of those who have criticised the raging turner for the third Test against South Africa. But it will not be without questions.