DAY 3: Bavuma fifty makes India chase 124 in first test

Temba Bavuma scored the only half century of the match to give South Africa a fighting chance of victory as India, requiring just 124 for victory, stumbled to lunch on 10-2 on the third day of the first test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.

Resuming on 93-7 with captain Bavuma on 29 and Corbin Bosch on one, the eighth wicket partnership grew to 44 and the lead swelled from just 63 to 105 before India finally made a breakthrough with Jasprit Bumrah hitting the top of Bosch’s off-stump with a delivery which kept low.

Allrounder Bosch cut wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav for four and drove him over long on for six during his doughty 25 from 37 balls while Bavuma chipped and chiselled away at the bowling as India became increasingly frustrated until Bumrah’s strike.

Simon Harmer (7) added a further 18 runs with Bavuma for the ninth wicket but the belated introduction of seamer Mohammad Siraj to the attack ended the innings quickly with Harmer playing no shot to a ball which crashed into his off stump and last man, Keshav Maharaj, trapped lbw for a third ball duck.

Bavuma was left unbeaten on 55, an innings of the highest quality and potentially as important as any of his four test centuries. He faced 136 balls and collected just four boundaries but there is no measure for tenacity and determination.

South Africa’s total of 153 was considerably more than most had expected but left the hosts with a target of just 124,

Marco Jansen struck immediately to have both openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, caught behind by ‘keeper Kyle Verreynne to leave the home in disarray at 2-1, effectively 3-1 with captain Shubman Gill confirmed as a non-starter in the fourth innings after injuring his neck in the first innings.

Washington Sundar (5) and Dhruv Jurel (4) will resume after the break with Jansen (4-2-8-2) having created plenty of early tension.

INDIA: Yashasvi Jaiswl, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wkt), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj.

SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj.