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Bavuma fifty makes India chase 124 in first Test / Photo: © AFP
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Bavuma fifty makes India chase 124 in first Test
Skipper Temba Bavuma hit an unbeaten 55 to steer South Africa to 153 all out, leaving India needing a tricky 124 to win the opening Test on Sunday.
South Africa resumed day three on 93-7 and their second innings ended in the first session with Mohammed Siraj's double strike at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.
India will be without skipper Shubman Gill who was ruled out of the match ahead of the day's play due to a neck injury he suffered while batting on Saturday.
Bavuma started the day on 29 and played with grit to complete the first half-century of this bowler-dominated contest on a tough pitch to bat.
His 44-run eighth-wicket stand with overnight partner Corbin Bosch frustrated the Indian bowlers until pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah broke through.
Bumrah bowled Bosch for 25 before Bavuma reached his fifty in 122 balls, raising his bat to an applauding dressing room.
Siraj dismissed Simon Harmer for seven and last man Keshav Maharaj for a duck in the space of four balls as Bavuma ran out of partners.
Ravindra Jadeja stood out with figures 4-50, largely thanks to his left-arm spin.
Reigning world Test champions South Africa did well to deny India a big lead but once again faltered in their batting in a frenetic last session on Saturday.
Jadeja ripped through the opposition top and middle order and was ably supported by Kuldeep Yadav, who took two wickets.
Earlier, India made 189 all out in their first innings in response to South Africa's 159 at the start of the two-match series.
A.Smith--SFF
