As it happend - South Africa vs India, 1st men's Test, Centurion, 3rd day

In the half hour of batting possible, India lose Mayank Agarwal, en ding the day effectively at 146 for 1. At the end of day three on such a pitch, you back yourself to win from this position, but there is some forecast for rain on day five, which will make for an interesting watch on India’s declaration should they get themselves into a position to do so. We leave you with a teaser from the final report for the day. Do join us tomorrow.

India have the fly slip in place for the tail, and Keshav Maharaj top-edges an upper-cut off Jasprit Bumrah to the man. It gives India a big lead of 130 with about half an hour to bat on the third evening. Shami leads the team off the park. They all love him and his heart and his skill.

With the outside edge from the stubborn Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Shami has his five-for, and also 200 Test wickets. One of only 11 players to have done so for India. It has been a result of superb disciplines and persistence with one of the strike bowlers not available for 49 overs. India can now start thinking of the second innings, and they still lead by 134.

With Jasprit Bumrah yet to be eligible to bowl, with Mohammed Shami out of the attack, and with the pitch not doing much for a 50-plus-over-old ball, Kagiso Rabada and debutant Marco Jansen add 37 for the eighth wicket, but once again Shardul Thakur displays the importance of playing him in Tests that assist pace bowling. He has broken the two biggest partnerships in this innings. This time the ball seems to just holds its line to beat the outside edge of Jansen, who covers the angle, and traps him lbw. South Africa still 146 behind.

Mohammed Shami keeps producing the wickets, this time the big one of Temba Bavuma, moments after he brings up his fifty. Shami has stayed in that testing channel outside off, and Bavuma finally makes a mental error after a fine innings. He defends at it, actually jabs at it, outside the line of his head. South Africa 144 for 7.

Jasprit Bumrah might not be bowling yet, but Mohammed Shami is on song. He has had Wiaan Mulder on the drive on a pretty straight half-volley outside off. Not much swing or seam, but Mulder is a No. 7 and he is not quite forward enough, getting a thin outside edge through to the keeper. South Africa 133 for 6.

Jasprit Bumrah twisted his ankle in the first session, spent close to two hours off the field, and after getting treated came back on 17 minutes before the tea interval. However, he is not bowling yet. The reason for this could be that he is being asked to spend the same amount of time on the field as he did off it before taking active part in the game, which is to say either bat or bowl.

The contentious point here is that the ICC playing conditions waive off this penalty time for external injuries. Basically the idea is to not let someone exploit the system with an injury they are carrying beforehand or one that is a result of poor fitness. Now to anyone watching, Bumrah did suffer a legit injury, twisting his ankle pretty badly, but this is what the playing conditions say:

Now technically Bumrah's injury was not quite a "blow" so he has to serve time before he gets to bowl.

Not that India would have enforced it, but with three boundaries off the 41st over, bowled by Shardul Thakur, Temba Bavuma has taken South Africa past the follow-on mark. South Africa 128 for 5, still miles away from safety. Bavuma 45 off 90.

India have managed to take four wickets for 88 runs in this extended middle session. Everybody has bowled well apart from a couple of drag downs from R Ashwin. Wickets for each of the quicks, and the good news is that Jasprit Bumrah is back on the field. After the new-ball burst, the pitch has settled down as the partnership between Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma suggested. South Africa 109 for 5, and while it might still be academic, the follow-on hasn't yet been avoided.

With the first ball of a new spell, Shardul Thakur has Quinton de Kock playing on. This looks innocuous. Short of a length, outside off, de Kock looks to dab on it, and gets a thick edge onto his wicket. It is a nothing shot really. Sometimes such a shot is brought about when the pace goes down, in this case from Mohammed Shami down to Thakur. That's a sweet breakthrough to have 17 minutes before tea. Also, Jasprit Bumrah is back on the field now.

The pitch has settled a little, the ball is not new anymore, and India have tried their fourth and fifth bowlers in Bumrah's absence. Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock have responded well, staying clear from the lifters and still managing to come forward to the ones pitched up. South Africa 92 for 4, with partnership reading 60.

Mohammed Siraj bowls the perfect sucker balls in a spell during which there has been nothing to come forward to. To the first of those Rassie van der Dussen looks for a drive and edges it on the half-volley to second slip. The next one is slightly wider, on a good length, and van der Dussen pushes at it. This edge is healthy enough to carry to gully. South Africa 32 for 4. India proving to be too good as was expected.

Oh Mohammed Shami is a nightmare on these pitches. There is just enough seam movement, and just enough inconsistent bounce. And he has found his groove. He is not letting the batters come forward but is still attacking the stumps. Aiden Markram goes back to one that is pitched just short of a length, and it holds its line just enough, stays low just enough, to beat him and hit top of off. South Africa 30 for 3

At first it looked nasty as Jasprit Bumrah twisted his ankle in his follow-through. He looked in bad pain, but walked off on his own without hobbling. He is getting running repairs on the sidelines, but there is no swelling visible. It looks much better than early feared, and he might be back on the field at some point. South Africa 30 for 2.

too early to say there is a definite change because it has been just three balls since lunch, but Mohammed Shami is not pitching it up now. Hitting the deck with the shortest possible length that can end up around the top of the stumps. Keegan Petersen strangely has a big drive on the up, and is done in by the seam movement. Played on. South Africa 25 for 2.

They took 7 for 55 with the ball, and have scored 21 for 1 by lunch. Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi were much more potent this morning thanks to better accuracy and more helpful conditions. The result: the second-quickest collapse, in terms of balls faced, in Test cricket after a side's first four wickets have played out 90 overs. India struck with a wicket in the first over. They looked to swing it in that half an hour before lunch without much luck. Expect them to hit the deck harder during the second session and look for the inconsistent bounce that worked for South Africa.

On the stumps, shaping in, full enough to making him defend his wicket, then nipping away ever so slightly to take the edge, you get that from Jasprit Bumrah in the first over, you are Dean Elgar, and you are gone for 1. That's eight wickets in 1.5 hours this session.

Marco Jansen gets a maiden Test wicket, and India are bowled out for 327 having started at 272 for 3 overnight. Losing seven wickets for 55 runs is never ideal, but this might not be such a bad news for India, who are pushing for a result here. This means there is more in the pitch than there was on day 1. And this now being practically a four-day match, India will need to collapse equally as badly in the third innings to end up on the losing side.

Four and out. India's lower order just throwing their bats at everything remotely in their wheelhouse. Shardul Thakur first smacks Kagiso Rabada for four before edging through to the keeper. Mohammed Shami follows the routine against Lungi Ngidi. India 308 for 9. Something tells me they don't mind this morning's play that much. They like what the pitch is doing, and they seem to be thinking let's what we can before we have a go at South Africa in these conditions. The bounce is more inconsistent today, and also there is some seam movement. There have been 20 false responses in 10.5 overs. of course part of it is due to the lower order batters, but the pitch and the bowling have been more difficult.

India ended the day one of the Lord's Test this year at 276 for 3 with KL Rahul unbeaten on 127 and Ajinkya Rahane on 1. It was 272 for 3 with the same unbeaten batters here. Rahul fell on the same score in both Tests: 278 for 4. India ended that innings on 364. They'll take that score happily from the 300 for 7 now.

In his second Test against India in Centurion, Lungi Ngidi has a second five-for. This time the big wicket of Rishabh Pant. Good planning again. Pant tends to push forward to everything and gets run off the inside half of the bat, but this time they have a short leg in place and Pant finds him on the bat-pad. India 296 for 7.

Sixty false responses in 90 overs on day one. Eleven in just 7.4 on the third morning. The pitch is offering considerably more uneven bounce than on day one, and while that has given South Africa three quick wickets, it is not good news for them in the long run. R Ashwin is the latest to go, fending a short ball to leg, but getting a leading edge to cover. India 296 for 6.

You rarely get so many chances when you have Ajinkya Rahane's number. Then you rarely get such a start to your innings: a score of 199 for 3 when walking in, a good batting surface, the home attack having an indifferent day, six boundary balls in the first 35 balls you face. Rahane got all that, but he has fallen to a loose shot on the third morning. This is the second new ball on a pitch that has shown some uneven bounce, and Rahane has picked to cut one that is not short enough. The extra bounce for Ngidi takes the edge through to Quinton de Kock. Gone for 48. Rahane will be very upset. This is much worse than getting out in single figures.