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Sat, 19 October 2019
3rd Test: Bad light ends play early; India 224-3
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15:52 Rohit Sharma hit third century of the series
India 224-3 (58 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
The covers have also been called off and the conditions have gone quite dark forcing the umpires to call for stumps on the opening day.
At stumps on Day 1, India are well placed on 224 for three in 58 overs.
Rohit hit a magnificent 117 from 164 balls, hitting 14 fours and a six,
while Rahane stroked a fluent 83 from 135 balls, laced with 11 fours and
a six, as the duo were involved in an unbroken stand of 185 runs for
the fourth wicket.
India lost opener Mayank Agarwal (10), Cheteshwar Pujara (0) and skipper Virat Kohli (12) in the morning session after electing to bat, with Kagiso Rabada taking two early wickets.
India lost opener Mayank Agarwal (10), Cheteshwar Pujara (0) and skipper Virat Kohli (12) in the morning session after electing to bat, with Kagiso Rabada taking two early wickets.
15:46 Rohit Sharma hit third century of the series
Rohit Sharma hit an unbeaten century, while Ajinkya Rahane stroked a half-century before bad light halted play in the post-tea session, on Day 1 of the third and final Test against South Africa in Ranchi, on Saturday.
The duo rallied the hosts after a few early wickets to guide them to a healthy 223 for three in 58 overs.
Rohit hit a magnificent 117 from 164 balls, hitting 14 fours and a six, while Rahane stroked a fluent 83 from 135 balls, laced with 11 fours and a six, as the duo were involved in an unbroken stand of 185 runs for the fourth wicket.
India lost opener Mayank Agarwal (10), Cheteshwar Pujara (0) and skipper Virat Kohli (12) in the morning session after electing to bat, with Kagiso Rabada taking two early wickets.
India lead the series 2-0, having won in Visakhapatnam and Pune.
India 224-3 (55 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
The duo rallied the hosts after a few early wickets to guide them to a healthy 223 for three in 58 overs.
Rohit hit a magnificent 117 from 164 balls, hitting 14 fours and a six, while Rahane stroked a fluent 83 from 135 balls, laced with 11 fours and a six, as the duo were involved in an unbroken stand of 185 runs for the fourth wicket.
India lost opener Mayank Agarwal (10), Cheteshwar Pujara (0) and skipper Virat Kohli (12) in the morning session after electing to bat, with Kagiso Rabada taking two early wickets.
India lead the series 2-0, having won in Visakhapatnam and Pune.
15:42 Bad light stops play; India 224-3
India 224-3 (55 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
South Africa looking to build some pressure by drying up the boundaries. Nortje looking to tail the ball in from outside the off-stump as Rohit gets a thick inside edge trying to flay it through the covers and he gets another inside edge tw8o balls later for a single. The last ball again comes in sharply but slips down the leg side as the wicketkeeper fails to collect it and gives away a bye.
Rahane gets the first boundary as he comes down and flicks a full delivery from Linde through midwicket for a four. He then drives the fifth ball down to long-off for one to take his score into the 80s and Rohit keeps strike with a single from the last ball.
Nortje drifts on the pads as Rohit flicks it over square leg for a four to show some intent after the tea break. An easy single to fine leg as it gets quite dark at the JSCA international stadium in Ranchi.
And the umpires have decided to halt play because of bad light as the players are forced off the field.
India are 224 for three in 58 overs, with Rohit on 117 and Rahane on 83.
14:50 Rohit hits century as India fight back
India 211-3 (55 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Left-arm spinner Linde to resume proceedings with the ball in the post-tea session.
The first ball is short as Rahane cuts it to deep point for one and Rohit watchfully defends the rest of the over as he aims to get his eye in at the start of the session.
Fast bowler Nortje from the other end. He sticks to a good line on the stumps as Rahane blocks the first three balls and then takes one to square leg before Rohit does well to keep out a full delivery which stays low and picks a single on the off-side.
In the next over, Rohit drives Linde to long-off for one and Rahane clips the next through midwicket for a couple to get three runs from the over.
14:18 Rohit hits century; India 205-3 at tea
India 205-3 (52 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Opener Rohit Sharma hit his third century of the series to rally India after a few early wickets, on Day 1 of the third and final Test against South Africa in Ranchi.
Rohit stroked a magnificent 108 not out, while Ajinkya Rahane was unbeaten on a fluent 74 to guide India to 205 for three in 52 overs at the tea interval.
Rohit, who hit a century in each innings in the first Test, dominated once again with the bat. He started off watchfully before unleashing his full range of strokes in the post-lunch session, hitting 13 fours and four sixes in his 149-ball knock.
On the other hand, Rahane also kept the runs coming at a good rate, hitting boundaries regularly. The India vice-captain hit 10 fours and a six in his 114-ball knock as the hosts hit 134 runs in 29 overs in the post-lunch session, scoring at nearly five per over.
The duo turned things around in style, as they put on an unbroken stand of 166 runs from 22 balls for the fourth wicket.
India were struggling on 39 for three in the morning session after electing to bat courtesy of Kagiso Rabada, who took 2/54, but they bounced back quite well after lunch.
14:07 Rohit hits century to put India on top
India are doing well to keep Rabada at bay while attacking the spinners at the other end.
Rahane watchfully keeps out the over from Rabada as the pacer bowls his fifth maiden over.
Rahane joins the sixes party as he gives Piedt the charge and lofts the off-spinner back over his head for a six.
In the next over, Rabada tries the short ball to Rohit, who pulls it to deep square leg for one and Rahane gets the next ball in the same region for two runs.
The last ball is short again as Rahane plays the pull shot which falls just short of the fine leg fielder for one.
India 200-3 (50 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
India are doing well to keep Rabada at bay while attacking the spinners at the other end.
Rahane watchfully keeps out the over from Rabada as the pacer bowls his fifth maiden over.
Rahane joins the sixes party as he gives Piedt the charge and lofts the off-spinner back over his head for a six.
In the next over, Rabada tries the short ball to Rohit, who pulls it to deep square leg for one and Rahane gets the next ball in the same region for two runs.
The last ball is short again as Rahane plays the pull shot which falls just short of the fine leg fielder for one.
Faf du Plessis continues with Piedt despite giving away 38 runs in five overs. A much better over from Piedt this time around as India are unable to hit a boundary in the over. Rahane picks a quick single to mid-off before Rohit glances the second ball fine for two runs and then picks another couple to square leg as India bring up their 200, in the 49th over, for an innings run rate of more than four.
Nortje comes back in place of Rabada. He gets the ball to jag in sharply as Rahane is beaten off the inside edge trying to defend before he plays out a maiden over.
14:04 Rohit hits century to put India on top
India 184-3 (45 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Piedt, who has gone for 21 runs in three overs, continues. Rohit drives the first ball through the covers for two runs and then takes a single to mid-off.
A single to Rahane to long-on before Rohit lofts Piedt wide of the long-off fence for another six, to complete his century in grand style, from 130 balls, hitting 13 fours and four sixes.
This is Rohit's third century of the series, after having hit century in each innings in the series-opener. This Rohit century has once again been instrumental in getting India back on track after a few early wickets.
Rohit took his time to get his eye, getting his first fifty from 86 balls but there was no stopping him in the post-lunch session, as he stroked the next fifty from just 44 balls to lead India's superb comeback after lunch.
This is Rohit's sixth Test century as he also goes past the 2000-run mark in Test cricket.
13:42 Rohit creates record for most sixes in a series
India 174-3 (44 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Rohit drives Piedt down to long-on for a single before Rahane comes down the track and lofts the off-spinner over the off-side for a four.
Rahane then takes a single into the covers before Rohit hammers the last ball down the ground clearing the long-off boundary for a six.
Ngidi sends down a maiden over to Rahane, who despite batting freely, has been quite compact with his defence.
Rohit continues to target Piedt. He looks to have miscued the loft down the ground but has got enough power to clear the long-on fielder for another six and then picks a single to take his score into the 90s.
Rohit has now slammed 16 sixes in the series to create a new record for the most sixes in a series, beating the previous tally of 15 sixes by West Indian Shimron Hetmyer in the two-Test series against Bangladesh in 2018-19.
Rabada comes back into the attack. Rohit picks a single first ball before Rahane lofts the fourth ball over the fielder at mid-on for a four as India go past 100 runs for the session, scoring at over five per over.
13:25 Rohit, Rahane hit 50s as India fight back
India 150-3 (40 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Finally, off-spinner Dane Piedt comes into the attack. Rahane defends the first two balls and then hits the third to long-on for one to complete his fifty from 70 balls.
Rohit also defends the next two balls before taking one off the last ball to retain strike.
Ngidi getting the ball to come in from outside the off-stump as Rohit comes forward and defends. His shot selection has been quite impressive as Rohit has looked quite solid and his fluent partnership with Rahane has been instrumental in India making a comeback.
Rohit took 50 balls to get his first 20 runs and once he got his eye in, he has improved on the strike rate.
Rohit drives a full delivery from Ngidi through the covers for one to bring up India's 150, in the 40th over.
13:15 Rohit, Rahane bring India back on track
India 147-3 (38 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Linde overpitches as Rohit again clips it through square leg for a four and then picks a single to raise the 100-run stand for the fourth wicket from 128 balls.
South Africa continue with pace from one end as Ngidi replaces Nortje as off-spinner Dane Piedt is yet to get the ball in his hands.
Ngidi overpitches as Rohit hammers it past the fielder at short mid-off for a four as the fielder barely has time to react. The boundaries continue to flow as this time Rohit glances one off his pads for another four as the opener takes his score to 75.
India have rallied back with some positive batting after lunch, hitting 76 runs in 15 overs in the first hour of the second session, scoring at five per over.
Rohit has stroked his way to an attractive 75, with the help of 13 fours and a six, while Rahane has hit his way to 49, with the duo putting on 108 runs for the fourth wicket so far.
13:06 Rohit hits half-century to rally India
India 133-3 (36 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Left-arm spinner Linde is back into the attack. Rohit defends the first two balls before he clips the third on the leg side but can't beat the fielder at midwicket, before he plays out the last three balls to end the over as Linde registers his first maiden over.
In the next over, Nortje drops short as Rahane punches it square on the off-side for a four as the partnership continues to build.
Linde strays on the pads as Rohit clips it fine for a couple of runs and then flicks the last ball through midwicket for a four as the left-arm spinner overpitches on the stumps.
Nortje bowls on the stumps as Rahane defends the first three balls and then takes a single on the leg side. The last ball is slightly wide as Rohit plays a cracking drive through the covers for a four.
12:49 Rohit hits half-century to rally India
India 118-3 (32 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Pacer Nortje comes back into the attack in place of Linde. Rohit defends the first ball and then drives the next to mid-off. Nortje overpitches as Rohit drives it straight down the ground to the right of mid-off for a four to bring up his fifty, from 86 balls, having hit eight fours and a six.
Rohit plays another good straight drive as the bowler does well to stop it on his follow through.
Rohit and Rahane have lifted the tempo after lunch, scoring 44 runs from seven overs in the second session.
Rabada drifts on the pads as Rahane clips it behind square for two runs and then takes a quick single off the last ball.
Nortje follows it up with a maiden over to Rahane as the right-hander is beaten once in the over, trying to force it through the off-side.
12:37 Rohit, Rahane take India past 100
India 111-3 (29 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Short again from Linde as Rahane cuts it for a couple and then easily plays out the rest of the over.
Rabada still making things happen. He gets the ball to move away every so slightly as Rohit tries to defend but is beaten and the next ball also moves away quite a bit, which is left alone.
Rabada then bowls another cracking leg cutter close to the off-stump as Rohit is forced to poke and is beaten but the pacer has overstepped, before the India opener defends the rest of the over with caution.
Linde bowling it short as Rahane cuts it for one and Rohit does the same two balls later for another single. Another half-tracker from the spinner as Rahane rocks back and punches it through the covers for a four.
Another brilliant delivery as he bowls full and gets it to move away as Rohit gets the edge which flies to the right of the second slip fielder for a four as India go past the 100-run mark, in the 29th over.
A single to Rohit before Rahane continues his flurry of boundaries. This time Rabada strays on the pads as Rahane glances it fine for a four, to race to 36 from 39 balls, having hit six fours.
Another freebie from Rabada, full and on the pads, as Rahane clips it through square leg for another boundary to race to 40.
Rahane was on 11 from 20 balls at the start of the session, but since then has stroked 29 from 22 balls with the help of six fours.
12:19 Rohit, Rahane steady India
India 89-3 (25 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
South Africa start with spin in the post-lunch session as left-arm spinner Linde continues.
Rahane defends the first ball and then cuts the next ball to point for one and Rohit then cuts the fourth ball square on the off-side for a four before he attempts the sweep shot but is beaten as five runs come from the first over of the session.
Kagiso Rabada from the other end. The first ball is full and on the stumps as Rahane uses his wrists to good effect, clipping it through midwicket for a four.
Rahane then gets an edge which falls short of the second slip fielder for a four and then gets another edge off the next ball for another boundary.
Rabada then drifts on the pads as Rahane clips it to fine leg for a single as 13 runs come from the over.
11:39 South Africa on top; India 71-3 at lunch
India 71-3 (23 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Kagiso Rabada bowled a fiery spell with the new ball to give South Africa a good start in the morning session, on Day 1 of the third and final Test in Ranchi.
Rabada took 2/15 in seven overs as India were reduced to 71 for three in 23 overs at the lunch break on the opening day.
Rohit Sharma was unbeaten on 38 from 68 balls, hitting five fours and a six, at the lunch interval, while Ajinkya Rahane was on 11.
Electing to bat first, India lost an early wicket when Mayank Agarwal was caught in the slips off Rabada in the fifth over.
The pacer then dismissed the experienced Cheteshwar Pujara for a duck, as he was trapped leg before wicket by an incoming delivery.
Virat Kohli made 12 before he was given out leg before wicket by Andre Nortrje despite taking the DRS as the decision stood with the umpire's call.
Earlier, South Africa captain Faf du Plessis brought in proxy in Temba
Bavuma for the toss to halt his run of losing tosses but to no avail.
Lungi Ngidi took the place of Vernon Philander, while Dane Peidt returned to the team to replace Senuran Muthusamy.
The
toss once again went India's away as Virat Kohli has won the toss
and elected to bat on a pitch expected to help the spinners.
India
made just one change with left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem making
his debut as he replaced Ishant Sharma, who was given a break.
South
Africa, desperate to avoid the whitewash, made as many as five
changes. Wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen came in for the injured
Aiden Markram with Quinton de Kock handed the important responsibility
of opening the batting.
Left-arm spinner George Linde was brought in for the injured Keshav Maharaj, while Zubayr Hamza replaced Theunis de Bruyn.
11:31 South Africa on top; India 71-3 at lunch
India 71-3 (23 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Ngidi tries the short ball to Rohit, who easily pulls it over square leg for a four and taps the next on the leg side for one.
Rahane nearly gives his wicket away as he plays a loose shot away from his body and is lucky not to have edged it.
Rahane then gets an edge off the last ball which goes past the slips for a four.
Finally some spin as debutant George Linde comes into the attack. The first ball is on the mark as Rohit does well to get his bat down. Two balls later, Rohit (28) clips it straight to the fielder at short leg but the fielder at short leg is unable to hold on.
He defends the next two balls and then gets a single on the leg side off the last ball.
Pacer Nortje is back into the attack from the other end. The second ball is full and straight as Rohit clips it through midwicket for a couple and Rahane then takes one to point.
Nortje tries the quick bouncer but Rohit pulls it over the fine leg fence for a six before he blocks the last ball to end the first session.
India are 71 for three in 23 overs at the lunch break on Day 1.
Rohit has made 38 from 68 balls, while Rahane is unbeaten on 11 from 20 balls.
11:16 Kohli out for 12; India in trouble
India 51-3 (20 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
With Kohli and Pujara, Rohit will have to shoulder more responsibility and get the innings back on track in combination with his Mumbai team mate Ajinkya Rahane.
South Africa's pacers have bowled with a lot of fire on pitch where spinners were expected to make hay, but so far the visitors have not introduced their slower bowlers yet.
Nortje bowling straight and getting the ball to come in sharply with two fielders placed at short midwicket to Rahane.
Rahane happy to play late and defend with soft hands on the leg side as he plays out a maiden over.
In the next over, Rohit flicks a full delivery from Ngidi uppishly through midwicket for a four and then gets an inside edge on the leg side for a couple.
Rahane steers a wide delivery from Nortje behind point for two runs to take India past the 50-run mark, in the 20th over.
10:54 Kohli out for 12; India in trouble
India 43-3 (16 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
A rare loose shot from Kohli as he chases a wide delivery from Nortje, trying to drive it without moving his feet and is beaten.
The next ball is full and comes in sharply as Kohli plays all over it and is hit on the pads to be given out leg before wicket for 12. He takes the review but the ball is going on to clip the leg stump which means it stays with the umpire's decision.
Kohli perishes cheaply as India find themselves in trouble on 39 for three, in the 16th over.
Nortje is a delighted man as he picks up his maiden Test wicket and who better than Kohli to start off with?
Ajinkya Rahane clips the fifth ball to deep square leg for a couple to get off the mark and flicks the last ball past mid-on for two more runs.
10:47 Rabada gives South Africa a good start
India 39-2 (15 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Nortje continues as Kohli steers the first ball square for a couple of runs and then defends the next two balls.
A close shave for Rohit as Kohli calls him across for a quick single to point. The fielder swooped in quickly but missed the direct hit with Rohit struggling to make his crease.
Still no signs of spin for South Africa as Ngidi comes in for Rabada. Kohli taps the second ball on the leg side for one before Rohit pulls the next ball over midwicket for a four.
Ngidi then beats Rohit with the full incoming delivery as the right-hander looks to drive but clips the next past mid-on for two runs.
10:34 Rabada gives South Africa a good start
India 29-2 (13 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Rabada on fire at the moment! Rohit is beaten by the full incoming delivery as he looks plumb in front and is given out leg before wicket immediately by the umpire.
But Rohit decides to review it and rightly so as he had got an inside edge on to the pads as he survives.
Rohit then misses out on a full toss as he gently clips it to midwicket and then makes a late decision to leave one outside the off-stump.
The last ball is beauty as Rabada gets the ball to move and bounce and Rohit is completely squared up as he defends.
Nortje misses his line and he stays down the leg side and Kohli manages to glance it fine for a four to get off the mark.
The pacer repeats the error a few deliveries as Kohli helps himself to another boundary through fine leg.
A fired-up Rabada bowling his seventh over on the trot in his first spell. Rohit gets an edge which goes on the bounce to gully and he attempts the pull shot next ball but gets hit on the gloves and it goes fine on the leg side for a four.
At the first drinks break, India have reached 29 for two in 13 overs, with Rohit on 11 and Kohli on eight.
Rabada gave South Africa a good start as he took two for 15 in seven overs, including the wicket of Agarwal and Pujara.
10:19 Pujara out for a duck; India lose 2nd wkt
India 17-2 (10 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Rabada again beats Pujara with the incoming delivery as the ball goes through the gap and hits him on the pads. The umpire turns down the appeal but Rabada immediately asks his captain to review. The impact is in line and the ball is going on to hit the middle stump as Pujara walks back for a duck.
Terrific bowling from Rabada as he kept pitching the ball right up and make the batsmen play more often than not and has been rewarded with two early wickets.
Captain Virat Kohli gets a cracking delivery first up. Rabada bowls a fiery bouncer which Kohli does well to somehow sway out of the way.
Pacer Anrich Nortje comes into the attack in place of Ngidi. Rohit slaps the second ball wide through the covers for a single and Kohli defends the rest of the over, as the pacer does well to stick to a line just on and around the off-stump.
10:10 Agarwal out for 10; India lose early wicket
India 16-1 (8 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Ngidi beats Rohit at the other end but the ball stays low. The pacer looks to tempt Rohit with wide deliveries but he is easily able to leave the next three balls and then taps the fifth ball on the off-side before again leaving the last ball.
Rabada nearly snaps up another one. He beats Cheteshwar Pujara with the full incoming delivery as it goes past the right-hander's defence and hits him on the pads. But the umpire believes the impact is too high and the ball could be going over the stumps as the LBW shout is turned down.
Pujara then plays away from his body with an open face of the bat as he tries to run it down to thirdman as he initially in problem with the extra bounce but manages to keep it down. The last ball is full and comes in as Pujara misses the flick and hit on the pads.
A loose shot from Rohit as he flashes at a short wide delivery but is beaten. The India opener then leaves the next two balls before he plays away from his body as he edges the last ball which goes past the slips for a four.
10:02 Agarwal out for 10; India lose early wicket
India 12-1 (5 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Ngidi goes wide as Mayank leaves the first three balls from the pacer. The fourth ball stays low as Mayank looks to defend but is beaten by the lack of bounce.
Rabada bowls another beauty as Rohit is beaten outside the off-stump courtesy of some extra bounce and movement before he picks a single on the leg side.
Mayank then gets the edge which goes low past the gully fielder for a four. The next ball comes in sharply as the right-hander is hit on the pads but Rabada's LBW shout is turned down.
Rabada is finally rewarded for his brilliant bowling with the new ball. This time Mayank gets the edge which stays low but Dean Elgar manages to hold on to a good catch to his right at third slip.
Rabada drew Mayank (10) forward with the full delivery, who was on the move as he pushed at it, and he ended up getting the edge as India lose an early wicket.
09:45 India elect to bat; Nadeem makes debut
India 7-0 (3 ovs) vs SA | Scorecard
Mayank Agarwal walks out to open the batting with Rohit Sharma, both of whom, have been among the runs in this series. A good start with the bat will help India consolidate their position after they elected to bat.
Kagiso Rabada to open the bowling for South Africa, who are eyeing a few early wickets.
The first ball is full and moves away as Mayank pokes away from his body and is beaten. He gets the next ball off the inside half to square leg for two runs to get off the mark.
Mayank then steers a full wide delivery past point for a four and plays out the last two balls to end the over.
Lungi Ngidi from the other end. He also starts with a full delivery which Rohit blocks watchfully and then takes a single on the leg side to get off the mark.
Agarwal is again beaten outside the off-stump as he plays away from his body and he blocks the last ball with caution.
Rabada getting the ball to move. This time Rohit is beaten all ends up as he looks to defend outside the off-stump. A couple of balls later the pacer gets the ball to come in as Rohit is hit high on the pads and the leg before shout is turned down.
This is fantastic bowling from Rabada as he gets the ball to move and bounce to go past the edge as Rohit again pokes.
09:20 South Africa make five changes
Check out the playing XIs of the two teams:
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (w/k), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shahbaz Nadeem, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami.
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Quinton de Kock, Zubayr Hamza, Temba Bavuma, Heinrich Klaasen (w/k), George Linde, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi
Check out the playing XIs of the two teams:
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (w/k), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shahbaz Nadeem, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami.
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Quinton de Kock, Zubayr Hamza, Temba Bavuma, Heinrich Klaasen (w/k), George Linde, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi
09:15 India elect to bat; Nadeem makes debut
Interestingly, South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has brought in proxy in Temba Bavuma for the toss to halt his run of losing tosses but to no avail.
The toss has once again gone India's away as Virat Kohli has won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch expected to help the spinners.
India have made just one change with left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem making his debut as he replaces Ishant Sharma, who has been given a break.
South Africa, desperate to avoid the whitewash, have made as many as five changes. Wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen comes in for the injured Aiden Markram with Quinton de Kock handed the important responsibility of opening the batting.
Left-arm spinner George Linde comes in for the injured Keshav Maharaj, while Zubayr Hamza replaces Theunis de Bruyn.
Lungi Ngidi takes the place of Vernon Philander, while Dane Peidt returns to replace Senuran Muthusamy.
09:01 Shahbaz Nadeem to make his debut
Shahbaz Nadeem, who was called in to replace the injured Kuldeep Yadav, make his India debut at his home ground in Ranchi.
Nadeem has been a prolific performer for Jharkhand and India 'A' over a period of time. He has had back-to-back 50-plus wicket seasons for Jharkhand.
The 30-year-old orthodox left-arm spinner has taken 424 wickets in 110 first-class matches with 19 five-wicket and five 10-wicket hauls.
The 30-year-old orthodox left-arm spinner has taken 424 wickets in 110 first-class matches with 19 five-wicket and five 10-wicket hauls.
08:56 'This is a pitch made for spinners'
"This is kind of pitch where the spinners are going to lick their lips and say this pitch is made for me. The ball might stay low and batting might not be easy. This is a pitch made for spinners," reckons Sunil Gavaskar.
"This is Day 1 but there is every indication that this pitch will turn a lot more than in the first two matches," said Sanjay Manjrekar in his pitch report.
"This is kind of pitch where the spinners are going to lick their lips and say this pitch is made for me. The ball might stay low and batting might not be easy. This is a pitch made for spinners," reckons Sunil Gavaskar.
08:55 Dominant India aim for series whitewash
It would have been a dead rubber had it not been for the World Test Championship and with 40 points on offer, India would be eyeing victory while South Africa would be desperate for some consolation.
Not just the 40 points, India will also be eyeing a 3-0 whitewash in the Gandhi-Mandela series.
Dominating the Proteas in all the departments, India won the first Test in Visakhapatnam by 203 runs before inflicting an innings and 137-run defeat on the hapless visitors in Pune to regain the Freedom Trophy.
India, who have 200 points from four games, have a massive 140-point lead over nearest rivals New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the WTC standings. Skipper Virat Kohli has also made it clear that there is plenty to play for in the final Test and the team cannot afford a drop in intensity.
Going into the game, India have very few holes to plug, be it their batting or bowling.
That India have lost only 16 wickets while routing South Africa in both the Tests sums up their dominance.
Luck has favoured India at the toss so far and things are likely to get more exciting if the coin lands in Faf du Plessis's favour in the final Test.
The last time South Africa toured India, both teams played on rank-turners but this time both, pacers and spinners have been able to extract something out of the pitch.
Welcome to the coverage of the third and final Test match between India and South Africa in Ranchi on Saturday.
It would have been a dead rubber had it not been for the World Test Championship and with 40 points on offer, India would be eyeing victory while South Africa would be desperate for some consolation.
Not just the 40 points, India will also be eyeing a 3-0 whitewash in the Gandhi-Mandela series.
Dominating the Proteas in all the departments, India won the first Test in Visakhapatnam by 203 runs before inflicting an innings and 137-run defeat on the hapless visitors in Pune to regain the Freedom Trophy.
India, who have 200 points from four games, have a massive 140-point lead over nearest rivals New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the WTC standings. Skipper Virat Kohli has also made it clear that there is plenty to play for in the final Test and the team cannot afford a drop in intensity.
Going into the game, India have very few holes to plug, be it their batting or bowling.
That India have lost only 16 wickets while routing South Africa in both the Tests sums up their dominance.
Luck has favoured India at the toss so far and things are likely to get more exciting if the coin lands in Faf du Plessis's favour in the final Test.
The last time South Africa toured India, both teams played on rank-turners but this time both, pacers and spinners have been able to extract something out of the pitch.
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