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India break defiant South Africa Test partnership

By AFP
India India's captain Virat Kohli L looks on as South Africa's captain Hashim Amla plays a shot on the third day of their third Test match, at The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, on November 27, 2015.  By Indranil Mukherjee AFP
NOV 27, 2015 LISTEN
India's captain Virat Kohli (L) looks on as South Africa's captain Hashim Amla plays a shot on the third day of their third Test match, at The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, on November 27, 2015. By Indranil Mukherjee (AFP)

Nagpur (India) (AFP) - India stepped closer to a series-clinching win in the third Test against South Africa in Nagpur after ending a defiant partnership between skipper Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis on Friday.

The Proteas, who resumed after lunch at 105-4 chasing a target of 310, went to tea on the third day at 151-6 in their second innings on a dusty, deteriorating pitch at the VCA stadium.

Amla and Du Plessis, who came together in the morning session after the fall of the fourth wicket at 58, defended for 46.2 overs to put on 72 runs for the fifth wicket.

Amla negotiated 167 deliveries and du Plessis faced 152 balls, both making identical scores of 39 before being dismissed by leg-spinner Amit Mishra in the space of six deliveries before tea.

Amla, whose highest score in the series is 43, edged a catch to his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli at gully. In Mishra's next over, du Plessis played over an attempted pull and was bowled.

At tea, JP Duminy was unbeaten on 15 and Dane Vilas was on two, with the tourists still 159 runs away from levelling the four-match series on a difficult batting wicket.

A target of more than 300 runs has been chased successfully just once on Indian soil -- by the home team who made 387-4 to defeat England in Chennai in 2008.

Prolific off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin struck in the day's fourth over when left-hander Dean Elgar edged a ball off the pad to Cheteshwar Pujara at silly-point after making 18.

AB de Villiers, the world's top-ranked Test and one-day batsman, made nine during an uncomfortable 21-ball stay when he was deceived by a straight ball from Ashwin and was trapped in front of the wicket.

India won the first Test in Mohali by 108 runs, while the second in Bangalore was washed out by rain after the opening day's play.

The fourth and final Test will be played at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground in New Delhi from December 3.

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