PLAYS OF THE DAY

KILLER KG: South Africa desperately needed a lift after a flat first hour. Kagiso Rabada, who’s not shown his best yet in the series, produced one of those momentum-shifting spells, picking up three wickets for 11 runs in 15 balls. From the match comfortably sailing India’s way, suddenly he blew it in a different direction.

BOUNCING BUMRAH: Understandably, young Marco Jansen didn’t take kindly to copping a few blows from Jasprit Bumrah and the other India bowlers in South Africa’s first innings. He can also dish that sort of thing out and did, not giving Bumrah anything in his half in India’s second innings. Bumrah didn’t like it and beckoned Jansen over for a chat, and the pair had to be separated by the umpires.

TWO DAYS OF LORD SHARDUL: Wickets – seven of them on Tuesday – and runs yesterday, followed by the wicket of Aiden Markram, it’s turning into quite a week for ‘Lord’ Shardul Thakur. You know why there have been comparisons made with Sir Ian Botham – the build, the bowling, and on the third day, the booming batting that included a glorious lofted straight drive that fell centimetres short of going for six. It’s been his game so far.

PITCH: It remains a very tricky prospect for batters. Balls are still springing through to the keeper, and sometimes over them, but some are now keeping low. There’s a spot for the bowlers delivering from the Golf Course End, on a length, where the top of the surface ‘explodes’. One ball out of there from Bumrah struck Keegan Petersen a painful blow in the chest. The fourth day will be challenging.