India v/s South Africa 3rd Test Day 2 Match Commentary: SA lose 2 wickets while chasing 310 for win

South Africa still need 278 runs for a win and that too on a pitch which is turning square, a Herculean task to say the least. Surely Friday is going to be the last day of the test.

OUT! Mishra sends back Imran Tahir. Bowls a slider on leg stump and Tahir is caught in his crease. The ball strikes his pads and would have gone on to hit the leg-stump

OUT! Ashwin gets Van Zyl for the second time in the match. Flighted delivery on off stump induces the drive from Zyl and his uppish shot is pouched at short cover by Rohit Sharma

OUT! End of India's innings. Flipper from Tahir, Amit Mishra plays back instead of off the front foot, and is bowled hook line and sinker. India all out for 173.

India lead by 309. Huge lead on this wicket, a bit like 500 on any other. 

OUT! Rohit Sharma tries to go over midwicket, gets a top edge and the short mid on fielder takes the catch. India 171/9. Incredibly while the other batsmen fall to spin, Rohit falls to Morkel.

OUT! R Ashwin is the next man to fall.  LBW from Morkel, looked plumb, given straightaway.

OUT! Ravindra Jadeja is out and a child among the spectators is deeply disappointed. She slaps her forehead as Jadeja walks back. Bowled by Harmer after hitting the previous ball to the fence. The prior ball was short and wide, the wicket ball was much closer but Jadeja tried the same shot.

OUT. Wriddhiman Saha is out and India are 122/6. This really seems to be a terrible wicket. Saha looks to play a fine paddle sweep but it takes the glove and then Dane Vilas lobs it up off his right boot. Amla completes the catch. There is confusion among the umpires, but finally they consult the third umpire and he gives it out. The question was whether the ball had touched the ground.

Meanwhile, read our piece on the travesty that has been this India-South Africa series so far.

OUT! India have lost Ajinkya Rahane at the stroke of tea. Googly outside off from Tahir, Rahane goes for an expansive drive but the ball gets high on him and lobs to short third man. India 108/5, at tea. 244 runs ahead.

OUT! Shikhar Dhawan is gone, he won't get to the fifty he was looking for. The reverse sweep becomes his undoing, at last, after it got him a few dividends earlier. India 3 down for 97.

OUT! Virat Kohli is gone. Another failure. Bat turns in his hand as Kohli advances down the track, and he scoops the lofted drive straight to long off. Tahir gets his second victim. India 102/4.

OUT! That's the end of Cheteshwar Pujara. Ripper from Duminy, it pitches on leg stump and turns back to hit off! What a pitch. India 52/2.

OUT! Murali Vijay has gone. Lower offcutter again outside off, ends up as a half-volley. Vijay tries to guide this to third man but edges low to Amla at slip. India 12/1.

India have negotiated 4 overs and finished at 7/0. Lunch on Day 2. India are already 143 runs ahead. Essentially 143/0.

OUT! All out for 79! Morne Morkel has been caught and bowled, and SA are all out for 79.

OUT! That's the end of JP Duminy. Tossed up outside off, JP Duminy misjudges the length and goes back to play but the ball spins and hits him on the front leg. Umpire thinks that's an LBW, Duminy out for 35. 9 down. Mishra's 1st wicket.

OUT! 8 down. Carrom ball down leg, Stephen Harmer plays all around it, and the ball nips back between his legs to hit leg stump! 66/8. Jadeja and Ashwin have 4 wickets each now.

OUT! Dane Vilas is the next to follow. On leg stump but just a fraction short, a lot of spin. Rips past Vilas' bat and hits off stump. Vilas correctly played the line of middle stump but was beaten on the outside edge. Unplayable ball. Sir Jadeja gets another. SA 47/7.

OUT! Now it's Faf du Plessis. Atrocious shot. Ball cuts out from middle and leg on a length, Plessis just plonks his foot forward and tries to go hard down the ground, and hears the sound of timber behind him. SA 35/6, du Plessis 10 off 20.

OUT! Big fish. Length ball, turns back on off, stops on AB de Villiers, who is early on the shot and loops it back to Jadeja who takes a nice catch. South Africa are in the doldrums, 12/5.

OUT! Hashim Amla falls! Crazy stuff. Good length delivery outside off, Amla goes down early for the sweep but is through the shot too early, gets a bit of glove on that and the ball lobs up for Rahane at slip. Ashwin gets his third. SA 12/4.

OUT! GONE! First over of the morning! Chopped on! Dean Elgar went after a widish length from Ashwin and played onto the stumps! 11/3.

Wicket maiden. 11/3.