A sensational display of bowling from India saw them take 16 South African wickets on day 3 of the third and final Test in Ranchi. In reply to India's first-innings total of 497/9 declared, resuming at 9/2, the visitors were bowled out for 162 in the first innings and were asked to follow-on, for the second Test in a row.
In the second innings, too, the South African batsmen had no answer to the Indian bowlers, ending the day at 132/8, though play was extended in hope of a result. Theunis de Bruyn (30*) and Anrich Nortje (5*) were at the crease.
Though pacer Umesh Yadav was a tad expensive, he troubled the SA batsmen with his pace and bounce, picking up three and two wickets in the two innings so far. Mohammed Shami, meanwhile, was almost unplayable in the second innings, giving away just 10 runs in his nine overs and picking up three wickets, to take his tally to five in this match so far.
Yadav set the tone of the day by clean bowling South African skipper Faf du Plessis with an unplayable late outswinger. If Yadav was lethal in the first innings, Shami upped his game in the second. The left-arm spinners, debutant Shahbaz Nadeem and Ravindra Jadeja, too did their bit as India steamrolled the opposition.
Like he had done in the first innings, Yadav gave the first breakthrough in South Africa's second essay when he cleaned up Quinton de Kock (5) with a perfect length delivery that angled across the left-hander.
Then Shami ripped through the middle-order, first castling Zubayr Hamza for a duck with a full length delivery before getting rid of Faf Du Plessis (4) and Temba Bavuma (0) in successive overs to leave them gasping at 22 four in their second innings.
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An early tea was taken as both the teams were left shaken after opener Dean Elgar was hit on the helmet by a 145kmph bouncer from Yadav. The batsman took a pause, sat on the ground before going off the field.
India wrapped up the South African first innings for 162 in 56.2 overs in yet another meek batting surrender that lasted less than two sessions after the visitors resumed the day at nine for two in five overs.
Local lad Nadeem cleaned up the tail by trapping Anrich Nortje in front to make it a memorable debut, returning with figures of 11.2-4-22-2.
Nadeem had his "big moment" when he dismissed Temba Bavuma (32) for his first wicket in international cricket. He foxed Bavuma with his flight as the batsman stepped out of the crease, leaving Wriddhiman Saha to do the rest.
Nadeem's first international wicket incidentally came even before any batsman could score run against him.
South Africa began the second session staring at an imminent follow-on as they lost their seventh wicket on the fourth ball after the lunch-break when a hapless Dane Piedt was beaten by Shami's raw pace as it cut back in to trap him in front.
What followed was a body blow in 39th over where Shami made Nortje hop all over with his sharp incoming bouncers though the tail-ender managed to survive the hostile spell.
The only high point of the South African batting in the first innings was Zubayr Hamza as the 24-year-old, who replaced an injured Aiden Markram, showed fine application in his 62 off 79 balls.
Hamza alongside Temba Bavuma (32) gave the Proteas some ray of hope in a 91-run partnership that came after Yadav cleaned up Du Plessis.
Yadav looked ominous and was unlucky a couple of times when Hamza edged it just short of Virat Kohli at first slip. Hamza soon found himself at ease, displaying some beautiful drives to race to his 50 off 56 balls.
Hamza, who struck 10 boundaries, hit seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for a six over mid-on to bring up his maiden fifty in his second Test.
(With PTI inputs)
