SA 66/3 in 25 overs: Umesh pegs vd Dussen back with a probing line on the stumps that comes from a good length. A thick inside edge for vd Dussen and he gets off strike with a single to fine leg. Petersen is beaten for one that nips in and gets him on the upper thigh. FOUR! Wide outside off and Petersen slashes it behind point, a little too uppishly though.

SA 61/3 in 24 overs: Edged again and short of slips again! Thakur finds Petersen’s edge with some away movement from an off stump line. Petersen comes forward to defend this one on the off. Good bounce for Thakur outside off. He rises on Petersen, who withdraws from a shot in the nick of time. Petersen hops back in his crease to defend the following three length balls on and outside off stump.

SA 61/3 in 23 overs: Petersen whips one that is going down leg for a single at fine leg. vd Duseen leaves the next couple of balls in the channel. Taps a straight one to mid on for a quick single. On the legs again and Petersen clips it behind for one more. A couple for vd Dussen as he works a straight one to mid wicket.

SA 56/4 in 22 overs: FOUR! Short and wide from Thakur and Petersen latches onto it with a power-packed punch with a hop back. Fifty up for South Africa. Loud LBW shot and Kohli reviews. Pitched on middle and moved away a touch to hit Petersen on the back thigh. Ball-tracking confirms that it was missing top of off stump. India loses a review. Loose one on the legs and Petersen flicks it behind square for one. A couple for vd Dussen with a thick outside edge that trickles to third man. Edge and just short of Kohli in the slips. vd Dussen poked outside the line of off stump as it went off his outside edge, courtesy extra bounce.

SA 49/3 in 21 overs: Umesh continues. OUT! Bowled him! On middle and off, a bit of inward movement and Maharaj’s middle stump is disturbed. Keshav Maharaj b Umesh Yadav 25(45b 4×4 0x6). Rassie van der Dussen is the new man in. Yorker on middle stump first up and vd Dussen gets a thick outside edge to point for a single. Petersen pokes outside off and falls short of gully for a single. One more for Petersen with a tuck to mid-on. Petersen nudges to point for a single and keeps the strike.

SA 45/2 in 20 overs: Thakur from the other end. Strays down leg to Maharaj, who flicks it to mid wicket for two. Full and straight and Maharaj defends off the middle of the willow. Punched off the backfoot and a misfield at cover will allow a single. Three dots to end the over. Thakur gets the last one to nip into Petersen who gets a leading edge trying to drive on the on-side.

SA 42/2 in 19 overs: Umesh replaces Bumrah. Darts the first one on a length outside off and Petersen leaves. Closer to off stump on a similar length and Petersen is forced to defend off the backfoot. Loud appeal for LBW but turned down! Kohli doesn’t review. Nipped back from middle and off and hit Petersen high on the thigh pad. Probably angling away from leg stump too. Good maiden over for Umesh to start the day.

SA 42/2 in 18 overs: FOUR! Full on fifth stump line and Maharaj unleashes a sublime cover drive. Maharaj defends well and moves to 22.

SA 38/2 in 17 overs: Another inside edge for Maharaj as the ball trickles to fine leg for a single. Bumrah keeps it straight in the channel and Petersen leaves with ease. This one is angled into him from back of a length and Petersen defends off the backfoot.

SA 37/2 in 16 overs: Shami beats Petersen as the latter goes for an exuberant drive outside off. Edged and safe! Extra bounce and it went off Petersen’s shoulder of the bat and just short of third slip. Shami gets another edge which is low and wide of gully and Rahane dives well to save a boundary. Shami beats Petersen again with away movement just outside off stump.

SA 37/2 in 15 overs: Bumrah darts one on the stumps to Maharaj, who taps it on the leg for a single. Petersen defends a couple of balls in the channel. Pushes one off the backfoot to cover for a single.

SA 35/2 in 14 overs: Shami draws a thick edge from Petersen and it goes to slip on the bounce. Beaten! Shapes away sharply from a crack outside off stump and misses Petersen’s push on the off. Petersen gets behind the line of the ball in the next couple of deliveries and defends well.

SA 35/2 in 13 overs: A single and a no-ball from the Bumrah over.

SA 33/2 in 12 overs: Shami to Maharaj. A beauty! Shaped away from a fuller length on off stump and does too much to beat Maharaj’s outside edge. Tailed into him from middle stump this line and Maharaj gets his bat down in time to edge it to point. FOUR! Perfectly timed backfoot punch through covers that would make one doubt that he is the night-watchman.

SA 29/2 in 11 overs: Bumrah continues. Tailing in with the angle and Maharaj leaves it close to off stump. FOUR-BYES! A jaffa! Bumrah jagged it back sharply from outside off, beat Maharaj’s inside edge and Pant’s full-stretch to his left. Maharaj collects a single at fine leg, inside edging it. A couple of dots to end the over.

SA 24/2 in 10 overs: FOUR! Lucky boundary. Shami went full and straight with some away movement and Maharaj got a thick outside edge on it as it raced away between third slip and gully. Solid defence from Maharaj, off the middle of the bat. Beaten! Moves away off the seam and Maharaj misses trying to follow the ball on the off. Length sliding down leg and Maharaj flicks to fine leg for a single. Petersen leaves one wide outside off to end the over.

SA 19/2 in 9 overs: Bumrah to Markram. Three slips and a gully. Angled into him and a thick outside edge to the slips. OUT! Bowled him. A horrible error in judgement as Markram shoulders arms to one that nips quite a bit from a fourth stump line and rattles top of off stump. Aiden Markram b Jasprit Bumrah 8(22b 1×4 0x6). Petersen is off the mark with a couple behind point. Three dots to end the over.

13-57 IST: Live action coming up shortly from Cape Town. How many do you think India will get in that first session of play? A bright and sunny day in Newlands with a spotless blue sky painting a perfect tapestry for what is a historic Test.

DAY 1 REPORT

Batting was challenging. There was a cloud cover, the pitch sported grass, and the surface offered seam movement and bounce.

In these conditions, Virat Kohli reserved his best. His 79 of character sparkled in India’s total of 223 after the side elected to bat.

India hit back with Jasprit Bumrah, who moved the ball across the left-handed Dean Elgar to have him caught at first slip. FULL REPORT

WHERE TO WATCH IND VS SA THIRD TEST LIVE?