SA lose AB and Amla but edge towards victory

South Africa need 105 runs to beat India in the third and final Test at Wanderers and register a monumental series whitewash over their bitter rivals.

When tea was called on the fourth day on Saturday afternoon‚ the Proteas were favourites with a score of 136/3 despite the loss of Hashim Amla (52) and AB de Villiers (6) in quick succession shortly before the break.

Dean Elgar‚ who needed overnight concussion tests after he ended day three in discomfort following a hit by a bouncer from Jasprit Bumrah on the grill of his helmet‚ was on 61off 181 balls‚ including eight boundaries.

He had just been joined in the battle by captain Faf du Plessis who was yet to score since he joined proceedings following the dismissal of De Villiers‚ who was caught by Anjikya Rahane at gully from the bowling of Bumrah.

Elgar scored his 10th half-century from 154 balls in the 46th over when he struck the ball with the face of the bat to find the gap between slip and gully for a boundary from the bowling of Pandya and to spark loud cheers from the crowd and applause from his teammates.

Not long after he reached his landmark the Bullring erupted in raptures when Amla clocked his 30th test half-century off 134 balls when he punched Bumrah past gully for two runs before he was dismissed.

South Africa go into the third and final session looking for victory and they still have Quinton de Kock‚ Vernon Philander and the rest of the tail in the form of Andile Phehlukwayo‚ Kagiso Rabada‚ Morne Morkel‚ Lungisani Ngidi in the bank.

In the first session‚ the Proteas added 52 runs to their overnight score with Amla and Elgar grinding under pressure from the four Indian bowlers who failed to get a breakthrough.