It is turning out to be a day of collapses as India went from dominating South Africa in Centurion to suffering a collapse of epic proportions. After opener KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane’s wicket, fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi made short work of Indian’s lower-order batters and tailenders by bundling out the visitors for 327. India could add only 55 runs in the first session and lost seven wickets. It is now India's second-worst last seven-wicket collapse (49 runs) in Test cricket. The worst collapse was against Sri Lanka in Mumbai in 1997/98.
After Day 2’s play got washed out due to incessant rain, Indian batters seemed to lack the concentration as they lost the battle against a relatively new ball (10 overs old) on Day 3. Rahul could add just a single run to his score and became first victim of the day for Rabada. The speedster remained wicketless on Day 1 and struggled with his line and length all day long. Rahul departed for 123.
The only successful bowler of Day 1, Ngidi got rid of Rahane preventing him for scoring his 25th half-century. Rahane edged it to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock. Rabada continued his good spell and got rid of Ravichandran Ashwin. The bowling all-rounder played down the wrong line and got a leading edge. Coming to bat at no.6, Rishabh Pant was outsmarted by Ngidi as he kept a short leg fielder for his unorthodox shots on leg side.
Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Shami were unimpressive as they got out chasing the ball outside off stump. Thakur became Rabada’s third scalp whereas Shami became Ngidi’s sixth.
There was some fightback from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj but it did not last long. Bumrah became the only Indian batter who scored in double digits on Day 3. Bumrah scored 14 runs off 17 deliveries in the mini 19-run partnership for the 10th wicket. Debutant Marco Jansen got his maiden Test wicket as Bumrah could not resist poking at a delivery wide of off stump.
