PICS: India scent victory after Bumrah strikes late

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IMAGES from Day 4 of the opening Test between South Africa and India, in Centurion, on Wednesday.

India are on course for an emphatic victory after reducing South Africa to 94 for 4 in the second innings on Day 4 of the first Test, in Centurion, on Wednesday.

Jasprit Bumrah produced a couple of magic deliveries at the fag end of the day to strike twice and enable the visitors scent victory.

The home side’s hopes of saving the match rest on captain Dean Elgar, who was unbeaten on a gutsy 52, and some rain on Thursday.

Chasing a never achieved victory target of 305 at Supersport Park, after India’s batters caved in on a track with uneven bounce, getting all-out for 174 in just 50.3 overs, South Africa were reeling at stumps.

With 211 runs required and six wickets in hand, an intriguing battle could be on the cards on the final day though the Indians will pray that the forecast of steady afternoon showers on Thursday does not come true.

Elgar and Rassie van der Dussen (11 off 65 balls) added 40 runs but, more importantly, batted for more than 22 overs as the pitch looked like easing down a bit.

Just when the game looked like meandering, Bumrah (2 for 22) went wide off the crease and got the ball to cut back late just when Van der Dussen decided to shoulder arms thinking that it would go straight.

Then, at the stroke of stumps, a lethal delivery knocked the stuffing out of night-watchman Keshav Maharaj (8), leaving the Proteas in tatters.

Even Mohammed Siraj (1 for 25) bowled one that was angled in and moved away late, taking Keegan Peterson's (17) outside edge.

Aiden Markram was the first to be dismissed as he failed to take his bat away from a Mohammed Shami (1 for 29) delivery that bounced a tad extra after landing on the perfect upright seam.

The Indian bowlers will be aware that there were instances when they failed to get the tail knocked off on the final day, the latest being the Kanpur.

Earlier, India’s batters struggled to cope with uneven bounce, but did enough to set up a stiff 305-run victory target for South Africa after putting up 174 runs in their second innings.

India's struggling senior troika of Cheteshwar Pujara (16), skipper Virat Kohli (18), Ajinkya Rahane (20) played indiscreet shots while some of the other batters were done-in by widening cracks that led to deliveries rearing up awkwardly from short of length.

K L Rahul (23), Rishabh Pant (34) and Ravichandran Ashwin (14) got snorters that grew big on them as Kagiso Rabada (4 for 42), debutant Marco Jansen (4 for 55) and Lungi Ngidi (2 for 31) looked menacing during the session-and-a-half that the Indians batted.

South Africa have more than 140 overs to score 305, but on this Supersport Park track, it will be a Herculean task to make a match of the target, with highest successful chase at the venue being 251, by England back in 2000-01.

For South Africa's batting line-up that distinctly lacks class of the bygone era, facing Jasprit Bumrah, Shami and Mohammed Siraj will be more than a tall order.

The Indians certainly owe it to their openers on Day 1 and the ever-consistent fast bowling unit that has helped them gain control of proceedings.

Otherwise, the middle-order cut a sorry picture, more so skipper Kohli, who promised a lot with some delectable boundaries, but the propensity to drive anything pitched fuller outside the off-stump is brought about his downfall.

Young Jansen, who had impressed India’s skipper as a net bowler during their last tour of 2018, will certainly remember his debut, angling one across at fuller length and enticing Kohli to go for a drive.

Pujara again played a lot of dot deliveries and then tickled one down the leg-side to Quinton de Kock off Ngidi.

The most embarrassing of the dismissals was Rahane's, after he had hooked and cover drove Jansen for a six and four.

The first hook shot was off a bouncer above his left shoulder and the second one was over his right shoulder at a slightly lower height. He couldn't check his pull-shot and holed out at deep square leg.

Had it not been for Pant's counter-attacking run-a-ball 34, India wouldn't have gained the psychological advantage of a target of 300-plus.

India scored 63 runs in the morning session, with Rahul (23 off 74 balls) showing admirable patience during the first hour, leaving a lot of deliveries outside the off-stump before Ngidi softened him up with one that came in sharply and hit him on the knuckle.

A close look showed considerable swelling and Rahul needed medical treatment. There was a lapse in concentration as he fished at one outside the off-stump and skipper Dean Elgar at first slip took an overhead catch.

The likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Shami also got hit on the knuckles as Rabada and Ngidi consistently hit one spot - short of good length with a widening crack. However, that was certainly a welcome sign for Indian pacers.

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