India vs. South Africa, 4th Test, Day 3: Kohli and Rahane Pile Misery on Proteas

India have dominated every aspect of the fourth and final Test against visitors South Africa in Delhi. The hosts finished Day 3 on 190 for four, with a lead of 403 and two days still to go in the Test.

After South Africa collapsed in a heap in the first innings, being dismissed for just 121, India responded by piling on the misery. The Proteas are not looking like the best team in the world at the moment, and with so much time left in this Test, they have a mountain to climb if they want to get anything positive out of this series.

Here are some key talking points from the third day.

South African Bowlers Keep It Tidy but Fail to Make Impact

South Africa’s bowlers certainly weren’t wayward on Day 3 against India, they just seemed to be out of ideas.

The hosts’ batsmen deserve credit for keeping it cool and keeping the strike ticking over, but the Proteas seem to be lacking a little bit of creativity. Some of that might be down to the fact that they are missing two of their senior players in Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, but even so, more is expected of the world’s No. 1-ranked team.

South Africa’s batsmen should also take some of the blame. If the bowlers had more runs to play with, perhaps their strategy would have been slightly different. Currently, the strategy seems to be try to concede as few runs as possible, rather than attack and take wickets.

Virat Kohli has a Batting Breakthrough

It's been a while, by his standards anyway, since Virat Kohli notched up a big score. He's averaged over 55.00 with the bat since taking over the captaincy 10 Tests ago, but he hasn't scored a half-century since August.

On these tricky pitches against South Africa, he has struggled, but he has found some form and applied himself well on Day 3 in Delhi. The India captain finished the day unbeaten on 83 and could very well go on to score a ton.

India Put the Boot into South Africa  

India are doing the cricketing equivalent of hitting a small insect with a hammer to South Africa. After losing a few early wickets, the hosts turned the screws on South Africa.

With the visitors already struggling after losing the series and collapsing in a heap in the first innings, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane combined to pile on South Africa’s woes.

The Proteas have been completely outclassed in this series, and while a few external factors like pitches and injuries have conspired against them, it’s difficult to find an excuse for some elementary errors.

When Will India declare?

India showed no urgency at any stage in their second innings, and they didn’t need to. There is no chance of rain interrupting this Test, and India have all the time in the world to squeeze the life out of South Africa.

The lead is currently at 403, and India will probably go for a lead of 450 or more to completely crush their opponents. The series has been won, and it’s now all about a ruthless and comprehensive win—especially with so much fuss having been made over the pitches.

There is nothing wrong with the pitch in this Test, so whatever happens from here, South Africa will only have themselves to blame.

The visitors have not batted for a whole day in this series yet, so India are very much in the driving seat.