LUNCH – DAY 1 – INDIA 75/2 IN 28 OVERS

IND 75/2 in 28 overs: FOUR! Too straight from Jansen and Pujara drills it past mid on and to the boundary. Pujara returns strike with a leg-bye. A couple for Kohli at square leg. Kohli defends the last ball before Lunch to point. Lunch!

IND 68/2 in 27 overs: Test cricket at its best here. Rabada continues to rev it in the channel and Pujara continues to leave with tenaciy. A single for him at fine leg as he turns one away on middle and leg. An engaging contest between bat and bowl and a matter of who blinks first now.

IND 67/2 in 26 overs: Change of ends for Jansen. Goes across to Pujara, who gets off strike with a leg-bye. Jansen then comes round the wicket to Kohli. Jags one into him with the angle and Kohli leaves it to see it whizz past his off stump…that was unintentionally close. A bouncer next ball and Kohli ably ducks under it.

IND 66/2 in 25 overs: Rabada comes back into the attack. Two balls in the channel, not wide outside the off stump line, and Kohli leaves. Errs in his line and Kohli works one on the legs for a couple at fine leg. FOUR! Vintage Kohli. Inviting length and off stump and Kohli strides forward for a beautiful cover-drive. A couple more for him as Kohli flicks this past mid on. The partnership now worth 33 runs off 77 balls.

IND 57/2 in 24 overs: FOUR! Pujara doesn’t miss anything fed on the pads. Ngidi tests him with one and Pujara duly whips it behind to the boundary. Pujara defends one with authority to end the over and he is on 21 runs off 37 balls.

IND 53/2 in 23 overs: Jansen keeps a benign line across the stump to Kohli but beats him comprehensively off the last ball of the over. It pitches on leg and moves across to the off from a length to square Kohli up.

IND 53/2 in 22 overs: Ngidi to Pujara, strays on his pads, and flicked away again to square leg for three runs and that brings up 50 runs for India. Full on middle, Kohli presses forward to defend, and it trickles to fine leg for a single off an inside edge.

IND 49/2 in 21 overs: Jansen continues to come across to Kohli. Good maiden over. Jansen kept it on and outside off stump on a length and Kohli continued to leave.

IND 49/2 in 20 overs: Pujara gets a thick outside edge that falls just short of third slip. It came in with the angle and straightened a bit, deceiving Pujara. FOUR! On the pads from Ngidi and Pujara serely punishes that to the mid wicket boundary.

IND 45/2 in 19 overs: FOUR! Kohli cuts loose with a delectable extra cover drive and he is off the mark after 16 balls. Jansen pitched it up too much on off stump and Kohli moved his left leg across, this time much straighter, and leaned into the drive. Kohli reverts to leaving the ball in the channel, resisting the temptation to drive after that first ball four.

IND 41/2 in 18 overs: Another maiden over and Ngidi is yet to concede a run after two overs. He kept it in the channel to Pujara who was happy to leave. A regal backfoot punch by well-stopped by Bavuma at point.

IND 41/2 in 17 overs: Jansen to Kohli. Jansen beats Kohli with some inward movement on middle stump. Kohli leaves the next five deliveries outside off and is yet to get off the mark after having played 15 deliveries.

IND 41/2 in 16 overs: Ngidi from the other end. Pujara leaves the first couple of balls outside off. Ngidi changes his line, comes straighter and Pujara defends solidly. Maiden over for Ngidi first up.

DRINKS – DAY 1 SESSION 1 – INDIA 41/2 IN 15 OVERS

IND 41/2 in 15 overs: Jansen into the attack. Starts off with a fuller off from across Pujara. Too straight this time and Pujara works it to the mid wicket region for three runs. Jansen comes across to Kohli too but doesn’t attack the stumps much and Kohli is happy to leave.

IND 38/2 in 14 overs: FOUR! Short from Olivier and Pujara pulls it imperiously to the fine leg boundary. Pujara gets a thick inside edge on one that pitched on off and collects a single past short leg. Kohli leaves a length ball on off, but that was inches away from the stump.

IND 33/2 in 13 overs: OUT! Mayank edges it to the slips and Rabada strikes. Mayank comes forward to defend a fullish one on off and gets the outside edge as the ball moves away off the seam. Kohli is greeted with a bouncer. Maiden wicket for KG! Mayank Agarwal c Aiden Markram b Kagiso Rabada 15(35b 3×4 0x6).

IND 33/1 in 12 overs: OUT! The pressure of dot ball seems to have got to the skipper as he poked at a short of length delivery from Olivier and edged it to the keeper. Pujara starts off with a couple off his first ball, whipping it away off his pads at mid wicket. Short one on off follows and Pujara leans back to get out of its trajectory. Plants his front leg firmly across the off stump to defend. Well-left outside off to end the over. KL Rahul c Kyle Verreynne b Duanne Olivier 12(35b 1×4 0x6).

IND 31/0 in 11 overs: Another maiden and that’s 23 dot balls in a row now. Rabada gave nothing away, with a frugal line outside off on a good length. Mayank, however, continues to look comfortable in his defence.

IND 31/0 in 10 overs: Olivier darts one straight and gets it to move away to beat Rahul and thud on his pads. Loud LBW appeal and the umpire is not interested, nor is Elgar. Oh, he got some inside edge too. Zipped in from way outside off and Rahul leaves.

IND 31/0 in 9 overs: Rabada continues. Starts off with three short deliveries that Mayank comfortably defends. A fuller one wafts way outside off and Mayank shoulders arms. Two more dots to end the over and Mayank solid in his defence.

IND 31/0 in 8 overs: Rahul punches a length ball off the backfoot and through covers for a couple. Two runs from Olivier’s over.

IND 29/0 in 7 overs: FOUR! Rabada wayward again on the legs and Rahul flicks it behind and past the keeper. Chance again! This one spat up from a length and into Rahul and shot off from the shoulder of the edge but high over gully. Rabada could have had two today! FOUR! Mouthwatering drive through the midwicket region by Mayank as Rabada feeds him another full one on the legs.

IND 20/0 in 6 overs: Olivier goes short on the body and Rahul pulls it elegantly to fine leg for a single. FOUR! Mayank stretches forward to put the half-volley on off away to the boundary, past the mid off region. Three dots to end the over as Olivier corrects his length and keeps it tight on and outside off stump.

IND 15/0 in 5 overs: FOUR! Pitched on middle and leg by Rabada and Mayank nudges it past mid on and to the boundary. Mayank flicks a full one on the legs again at mid on and Ngidi puts in a good dive to keep it to a single. Rahul collects a single off another loose one that strays on the pads.

IND 9/0 in 4 overs: Sensational over from Olivier. Keeps a probing line on the off and mixes his lengths well. Gets Rahul to leave a couple of balls a little tentatively before beating him on the last ball of the over. Two consecutive maidens for Olivier.

IND 9/0 in 3 overs: Rahul gets a single behind square leg off his inside edge. Mayank is beaten outside off as he comes forward to defend. Dropped! Mayank went for the cover-drive on a full length and edged it to third slip, where Petersen dropped it at full-stretch on the right. The next one goes off the edge again but this one doesn’t carry to the slips.

IND 6/0 in 2 overs: Olivier to Mayank from the other end. Mayank defends the first two deliveries off the middle of the bat. One fuller one nips into him but he leaves confidently. Olivier retorts with a rattling bouncer. Mayank leaves another full one on the off. Beaten! Olivier gets this to nip back from a length and beat Mayank’s inside edge.

IND 6/0 in 1 over: Rabada to Rahul, over the wicket. Into the pads and defended to mid on. A couple to get India off the mark. Rahul got the inside half of the bat and the ball trickled to long on. FOUR-BYES! Strays on leg-side and the ball beats Rahul and the keeper. Rabada beats Rahul on two occasions to the end the over. One misses his inside edge while the other beats his outside edge. Both length balls on the off.

Rahul and Mayank make their way to the middle. Some grey clouds hover around the ground but for now the weather is clear for cricket. South Africans take the knee against racism and all forms of discrimination while the Indians stand to attention. Rabada has the new ball – who plays his 50th Test today. Here we go!

The drizzle has stopped and the covers have come off. We are all set for action to begin.

Bit of a drizzle at Cape Town just before the start of play.

TOSS UPDATE: VIRAT KOHLI HAS WON THE TOSS AND INDIA WILL BAT FIRST.

Virat Kohli and Umesh Yadav replace Hanuma Vihari and Mohammed Siraj. South Africa is unchanged.

PREVIEW

Skipper Virat Kohli has recovered from his upper back spasm and will lead India in the decider – it is 1-1 after two Tests – of the Freedom series, beginning here on Tuesday.

The weather forecast for the Test is good. And a draw is unlikely.

The Newlands pitch should encourage pace bowling. There will be seam movement and bounce.

Winning the toss and brazening it out in the first session, putting up a total beyond 300, and then applying pressure as the pitch deteriorates is a viable ploy for a victory.

If India loses the toss and has to field, its pacers have to bowl in the right channels and dismiss South Africa inside 225.

Kohli revealed Mohammed Siraj, still recovering from a hamstring strain, will miss the third Test.

India will have to choose between Ishant Sharma, who brings with him an off-stump line and bounce, and Umesh Yadav, a skiddy, faster bowler with two-way movement.

Once again, a good start is vital for India against a probing South African pace attack.

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Much hinges on the opening partnership between KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. If they put up a sizable stand as in the first Test, negating the Kookaburra ball’s early threat, South Africa could be chasing the game rather than controlling it.

The confidence shown by Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane in the second innings at the Wanderers will be comforting for India ahead of the big game. Kohli will be itching to contribute. He requires to be tight around off and not play across incoming deliveries.

Kohli said the Indian team management had a conversation with Rishabh Pant regarding stroke selection during training. India wants this explosive southpaw to fire but do so judiciously.

India has a pace attack that can hurt line-ups, but Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will have to get their radar right. Shardul Thakur is a tricky bowler with bounce and movement.

There could be a role for off-spinner R. Ashwin if the pitch deteriorates. He lends depth to the batting too.

South Africa’s inspirational skipper, the left-handed Dean Elgar, will be a stumbling block for the Indian bowlers.

And Aidem Markram, a compelling shot-maker, is finding some form. There is, finally, a shape to the Protea batting. Keegan Petersen is a compact and attractive batsman at No 3. Rassie van der Dussen is a batsman with grit and shots of either foot.

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The little Temba Bavuma is an effective striker of the ball with a reasonable defence. And wicket-keeper batter Kyle Verreynne has a decent technique.

South Africa is unlikely to make any changes so the onus will be on the top six.

And then there is the four-pronged pace attack of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Duanne Olivier. They are capable of making  inroads, and the hostile Rabada has rediscovered his mojo.

In such a high-pressure face-off, the team that makes the least mistakes carries the day.

Can the Table Mountain, a fascinating backdrop to the Newlands ground, inspire the Indians to conquer the peak?

– S. Dinakar

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PREDICTED 11:

INDIA: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma.

SOUTH AFRICA: Dean Elgar (c), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Duanne Olivier, Lungi Ngidi.

WHERE TO WATCH IND VS SA THIRD TEST LIVE