NEW DELHI: Temba Bavuma’s resilient 55 not out kept South Africa competitive on a tricky Eden Gardens surface, before left-arm pacer Marco Jansen reduced India to 10 for two at lunch on Day 3, leaving the opening Test finely poised.

Chasing a challenging 124 on a crumbling pitch after South Africa were bowled out for 153 in their second innings, India were effectively three wickets down at the break. Injured skipper Shubman Gill, sidelined with a neck spasm, remained absent, leaving the visitors needing 114 more runs for victory.

The 2.06m Jansen (2/8) exploited his height and the variable bounce from the High Court End, removing both openers in successive overs.

In-form Dhruv Jurel, batting at No. 4 in Gill’s absence, showcased his touch with a leg-glance boundary to get off the mark and remained unbeaten on 4 off 12 balls. India’s experimental no. 3, Washington Sundar, managed 5 from 20 deliveries, surviving a few anxious moments.

Early Wickets and Bavuma’s Resilience

On a pitch where Bavuma demonstrated his rock-solid technique, the Indian openers fell short. Yashasvi Jaiswal, tentative against the seam and pace, was dismissed for a four-ball duck, edging a steep good-length delivery to Kyle Verreynne.

In the next over, Jansen went around the wicket and claimed KL Rahul for 1, rushing him with lift from a back-of-length delivery that ballooned off the glove.

Earlier, South Africa, resuming at 93 for seven with a 63-run overall lead, extended their advantage past 100 thanks to Bavuma’s composure and No. 9 Corbin Bosch’s brisk 25 off 37 balls. Their 44-run eighth-wicket stand frustrated India in the opening hour, scoring at over three runs per over.

Stand-in captain Rishabh Pant’s decision to hold Jasprit Bumrah from the more threatening Club House End, where he took a first-innings fiver, seemed curious. Bumrah eventually broke through after 44 minutes of resistance.

Bavuma, playing his first Test since leading South Africa to a historic WTC triumph at Lord’s, brought up the first fifty of the match with a fine-leg boundary off Bumrah. He survived a close LBW call on 54 when Siraj’s appeal was overturned as the ball missed leg stump.

Siraj, however, struck twice in the same over, dismissing Simon Harmer after an arms-only shot rattled his off stump, and then trapping Keshav Maharaj plumb in front with a precise yorker.

Ravindra Jadeja finished with 4/50 from 20 overs, while Kuldeep Yadav (2/30) and Mohammed Siraj (2/2) took two wickets each. Axar Patel (1/24) and Bumrah (1/36) also contributed, while Washington Sundar was not called upon to bowl.

(With PTI Inputs)