2nd Test, Day 4: Ngidi's dual strike put South Africa in driver's seat; India stare at series defeat

Centurion, Jan 16: India's hopes of winning the second Test match seem all but over after the visitors buckled under pressure and lost three quick wickets while chasing a target of 287 on the fourth day here on Tuesday (January 16).

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Indians were off to a disastrous start in their fourth innings when they came out to chase a daunting total and lost three quick wickets cheaply till the end of the day's play.

By the time umpires signalled stumps, India are at 35 for three from 23 overs and required another 251 runs with seven wickets in hands.

The longest India has batted in 4th inns of a Test anywhere...
141.4 (8 ball overs) at Adelaide in Feb 1978. Made 445 (lost by 47 runs)
150.5 (6 ball overs) at The Oval in Sept 1979. Made 429/8, chasing 437 (Drawn)#SAvIND

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) January 16, 2018

India's chances of winning this game look grim as their most dependable batsman and skipper Virat Kohli was sent back to the pavilion for a paltry 5. The scoreboard read 16 for two when the skipper walked into the middle but he couldn't do much as he was dismissed after 10 more runs were added on the board and left his team in the lurch.

Debutant Lungisani Ngidi shined with the ball as he accounted for the big wicket of Kohli after getting opener KL Rahul caught on the very first ball of his spell.

Rahul was the second Indian wicket to perish after scoring four off 29 deliveries. The Karnataka batsman continued to disappoint with the bat as he served his wicket to the opposition on a platter. Rahul thus failed to live up to the reputation in the second consecutive innings after scoring 10 (21 balls) in the first innings.

Murali Vijay was the first Indian wicket to be dismissed after getting played on off a low on from Morne Morkel. Vijay scored just nine before departing to the pavilion.

There goes this series......

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 16, 2018

Cheteshwar Pujara (11 batting) and Parthiv Patel (5 batting) are present at the crease and it would take a gigantic effort from the duo and the rest of the batsmen to take their side home.

India now face a near-impossible task of overhauling the target set by the hosts and win the game. It would require a Herculean effort from the rest of the players to deny the hosts their wickets and seal a victory from this stage.

Earlier in the day, pacer Mohammad Shami once again produced an impressive show with the ball and returned with a four-for to help his team bowl South Africa out for 258 in their second innings. The Proteas thus set a target of 287 for the hosts to chase and square the series. However, going with the kind of start the Indians have got off, the possibility of a win seems highly unlikely for the touring side.

Shami returned with figures of (4/49) from 16 overs as he looked dangerous from his first spell on the fourth day after having a forgettable outing till the third day.

Jasprit Bumrah was the second successful bowler for his side after Shami as he returned with 3/70 from the 20 overs he bowled. Bumrah might have been the costliest of the bowlers but he kept troubling the hosts after giving them two successive jolts first up in their innings.

Kohli falls to beast of a delivery, India's heart is ripped out, run chase looks academic from here...

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) January 16, 2018

Ishant Sharma grabbed two wickets and conceded 40 runs from his 17 overs while R Ashwin too managed to claim a wicket by getting the last man Lungi Ngidi caught in the deep. From his 29.3 overs, he conceded 70 runs.

Skipper Faf du Plessis played a composed innings of 48 while seasoned campaigner AB de Villiers emerged as the top scorer for the side with his knock of 80 and the hosts posted a big total in their second innings on a pitch which is getting slower as the days are passing by.

Opener Dean Elgar also made a valuable contribution with the bat as he scored 61. Elgar and de Villiers set the tone for a big total for their side with their crucial 141-run stand for the third wicket.

De Villiers who once again looked in sublime form but failed to convert his half-century into a well-deserved hundred and was dismissed by Shami. The former skipper was in looking in good touch before getting dismissed.

Shami then accounted for the wickets of Elgar and Quinton de Kock in a dramatic fashion after getting hit for three consecutive boundaries. De Kock scored 12 before being caught at slip after edging Shami on four consecutive deliveries.

However, after the wicketkeeper's dismissal, it was a gritty partnership between skipper du Plessis and Vernon Philander that frustrated the visitors. After Philander's stay at the crease, who played for good 85 balls, and 45-run-partnership with for the sixth wicket when India managed to break the partnership.

Later, Ishant and Bumrah wrapped up the Protea innings by getting rid of the tailenders.