Jansen Extends South Africa’s Dominance in Another Commanding Session: In a compelling display of skill and resilience, South Africa strengthened their position, extending their first innings lead to 147 runs during a dominant session on the third morning of the Test match against India.
Elgar Shines, Jansen Unbeaten
Dean Elgar, displaying remarkable form, scored 185 runs before succumbing to a short ball. Despite his dismissal, Elgar achieved his second-highest Test score, while Marco Jansen remained unbeaten on 72, marking his highest Test score.
India’s Bowling Challenge
India began the day with their premier bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. However, South Africa navigated the initial three-over bursts without losing wickets. The introduction of Prasidh Krishna as the first change, though, saw runs flowing freely, with his three overs going for 24 runs. Shardul Thakur, who replaced Krishna, also struggled to contain the South African batsmen.
Elgar-Jansen Partnership Resists
Despite the efforts of Bumrah and Siraj with the second new ball, the partnership between Elgar and Jansen remained unbroken. The duo added 111 runs for the sixth wicket, with Shardul Thakur eventually breaking the resistance by inducing a glove-behind dismissal of Elgar.
Late Drama and Relief for India
Jansen and Gerald Coetzee continued to attack, with Shubman Gill adding drama by dropping Coetzee at first slip. However, Ravichandran Ashwin provided relief for India by dismissing Coetzee at mid-off in the next over.
Lunch Break Relief for India
As the session concluded, India found some relief heading into the Lunch break, concluding a challenging period against a resilient South African batting lineup.
Brief Scores and Outlook
India, having scored 245 in their first innings, now trails South Africa, who reached 392/7. Despite notable performances by Bumrah and Siraj, the challenge for India lies in breaking the partnership and making inroads into the South African batting order to narrow the deficit.
