Highlights, India vs South Africa, 3rd Test, Day 1 at Johannesburg: IND 187, SA 6 for 1

10:20 PM IST

Hardik Pandya the future Kapil Dev out for duck, playing a pull shot and d kock does the rest.when he connects it is a marvelous shot and mis times it is loose shot .#SAvIND and comments by @sanjaymanjrekar

— R Suresh Kumar (@rspack_hosur) January 24, 2018
10:20 PM IST

what is d role of Hardik Pandya in Indian Test Squad? Is he genuine batter? Is he frontline strike bowlers? No he doesn't possess credential

— Girish (@GWaradkar) January 24, 2018
10:19 PM IST

Kohli dropped twice, Pujara not given out when he was, Rahane dismissed off a no-ball. Yet India will end up at under 200.
Sure it's a really difficult pitch, but after being two down at Lunch you expect better. Patel and Pandya in particular should have stepped up.

— Hassan Cheema (@mediagag) January 24, 2018
10:19 PM IST

All this time we were thinking Pandya will bring balance to the team but in reality it is Bhuvi that will bring balance to the team #SAvIND

— Naveen Samy (@ImNsamy) January 24, 2018
10:18 PM IST

I thought Hardik Pandya was very impressive at Capetown. But he is discovering, as many have before him, that in test cricket you are analysed closely and you have to keep countering that.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 24, 2018
10:18 PM IST

India lost a chance to send Hardik Pandya at no 6 ahead of Parthiv, just to put pressure on him as a batsman. His future in this Indian Test team lies only as a batting allrounder.

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) January 24, 2018
10:18 PM IST

Hardik Pandya is an "Allrounder"
Pic. 1 – On Paper
Pic. 2 – On field#INDvSA #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/7gdMQo54M7

— Anuradha (@AnuRadha9082) January 24, 2018
10:17 PM IST

The last two wickets have underlined the importance of Pujara’s innings. Test wickets aren’t meant to be thrown away. Pandya has had two absolute shockers in the last three innings and swagger can only get you that far

— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) January 24, 2018
10:17 PM IST

34: Balls faced by Bhuvi Kumar in this innings so far.

34: Balls faced by KL Rahul, Parthiv Patel and Hardik Pandya in this innings. #SAvInd

— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula) January 24, 2018
10:17 PM IST

The shot that Hardik Pandya played makes all the hardwork done by Kohli and Pujara go in vain. #SAvIND

— Prajakta Bhawsar (@ViratsFangirl18) January 24, 2018
10:17 PM IST

Send back Pandya. He doesn't deserve to play for India in any format.

— Makarand Waingankar (@wmakarand) January 24, 2018
10:17 PM IST

Shambolic batting by India! What was going through Pandya's mind when playing that grotesque, unwarranted hoick?

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) January 24, 2018
10:16 PM IST

It's a question I have asked before. What's Pandya's role this team? Is he a bowler who can bat, or a batsman who can bowl? Bits of both doesn't make a whole Test player

— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) January 24, 2018
10:16 PM IST

India having a collective brain fade in Johannesburg. Batsmen getting out trying to show their power hitting. First Pandya, now Shami. What's in their mind? Maybe IPL auction. #RSAvInd

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) January 24, 2018
9:08 PM IST

Story of Indian innings

Kohli 54
Pujara 50
Bhuvi 30

All others 27#SAvInd

— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) January 24, 2018
9:03 PM IST

End of the day’s play. Momentum remains with South Africa. But India have done well to see the back of Markram.
8:59 PM IST

Bhuvi is creating serious problems for both Rabada and Elgar. Michael Holding is livid on why Bhuvi was dropped at Centurion. He is making the ball talk.
8:49 PM IST

The first ball that Rabada played, it moved away. The next one, moved in sharply, trapping his pad. The third one again moved away sharply.
8:47 PM IST

India get the start they desired. Markram is beaten by Bhuvi’s away swing, nicks it to Parthiv’s gloves. Big wicket. Nightwatchman time?

OUT! Aiden Markram c Parthiv Patel b Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2 (8)
8:40 PM IST

Bhuvi starts with a three-run over. Gets a lovely shape away from Markram. This should be an interesting few minutes of play.
8:30 PM IST

Had Ngidi taken the last wicket instead of Rabada, it would have been the first ever instance of 5 pacers taking 2 wickets each in a Test innings. #SAvInd

— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) January 24, 2018
8:28 PM IST

Finally Bhuvi runs out of luck. He played well though. Goes for a wild pull, something he wouldn’t do otherwise, and perished at midwicket. Phehlukwayo took the catch as Rabada got his third.

OUT! Bhuvneshwar Kumar c Phehlukwayo b Rabada 30 (49)
8:21 PM IST

We just witnessed the scene, we usually do after 49.5 overs in ODIs. Bhuvi heaves, misses, steals a bye, tackling the South African players like they do in rugby. Bhuvi keeps strike. Two balls later, Bhuvi smacks Ngidi over the bowler for a boundary. Can India reach 200?
8:17 PM IST

Rabada denied another wicket. Bhuvi looks to slog, Ngidi, at mid-on, runs back and misjudges it. India run 2. The next ball, Bhuvi just manages to chip it over the cover fielder for another 2. Bhuvi is living dangerously but adding important, very important runs.
8:11 PM IST

Every run is gold for India now. Bhuvi smacks Philander straight for a boundary.
8:07 PM IST

Here’s another one. The Ishant-resistance ends here. Rabada induces Ishant’s edge, as he played on a wrong line. Faf took a sharp low catch. Bumrah walks out and what just happened there. Did the ball hit the crack? Bumrah got a thigh pad and it’s four. South Africa review, only to lose it.

OUT! Ishant Sharma c Faf du Plessis b Kagiso Rabada 0 (12)
7:51 PM IST

An interesting duel between the tall gentlemen — Ishant and Morkel. Morkel got him at Centurion by targeting his ribs. Ishant is happy to take the blows but he won’t play at those short balls, with the short-leg in place. There are some blows and some funny leaves. For how long, that is the question.
7:42 PM IST

It was a matter of time. Shami falls trying to clear the mid-off. Rabada takes a sitter as Philander gets his second. What a slide. This is disappointing. No excuse for this.

OUT! Mohammed Shami c Kagiso Rabada b Vernon Philander 8 (16)
7:29 PM IST

There was a short thirdman fielder for Shami’s late cut. Morkel manages to make Shami play the stroke. It just goes over the fielder there. Very good captaincy by Faf. His is surely amongst the smartest brains in international arena.
7:23 PM IST

Fifth catch for QDK. Pandya throws it away attempting a pull over midwicket, getting a top edge. QDK takes a brilliant catch. Never easy those, the ones running back and taking the ball twirling back at you. 12 balls, no run, 3 wickets. Sums up India’s show. Bhuvi breaks the shackle with a delightful cover drive.

Pandya better stay away from Kohli and Shastri. With the team in trouble, if that’s a shot you attempt of the fifth ball in Test cricket then you need to reassess yourself as a Test cricketer.

OUT! Hardik Pandya c Quinton de Kock b Andile Phehlukwayo 0 (5)

Hello and welcome to CricketCountry’s live coverage of India in South Africa series. This is Day One of the third and final Test at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. I am Suvajit Mustafi and I will be bringing you all the live scores and updates from the day’s play. South Africa may have sealed the series 2-0, but India have a lot to play for. India are yet to lose a Test at this venue and they will hope to keep the record intact. For South Africa, a win will help them inch closer to the No.1 rank that India hold at the moment.

If South Africa whitewashes India 3-0 in this series, India would not immediately lose their crown. However, South Africa will gain four points and would require two more Test wins during the Australia series to become the best Test side.

India, however, are caught in a huge conundrum – the team selection. Several for Indian cricketers have lashed out on Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri for keeping out Ajinkya Rahane from both Tests and Bhuvneshwar Kumar from the second. As for the pitch, with the green cover on the track, Wanderers is expected a pacer’s paradise. There is a possibility that both sides will go in with an all pace attack.

India: Virat Kohli (c), Parthiv Patel (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar

South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungisani Ngidi, Theunis de Bruyn, Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Duanne Olivier