Ajinkya Rahane’s courageous knock of 48 on an explosive Wanderers wicket is our Play of the Day.

Late on day three, the officials decided to suspend play due to the dangerous state of the pitch. Several batsmen were hit on the body after the ball exploded off a length. The umpires and the match referee decided that enough was enough when Dean Elgar copped a blow to the head towards the end of the third session.

Virat Kohli and Rahane faced similarly challenging conditions earlier in the day. Kohli showed terrific determination to combat the unpredictable bounce. When the India captain departed for 41, Rahane took responsibility and moved to strengthen the visitors’ grip on the contest.

DAY THREE REPORT: Pitch could force Test abandonment

Rahane was not selected for the first two games of the series. India, who favoured just five specialist batsmen in those matches, went on to lose by significant margins. In the aftermath of the latter defeat, many asked why Rahane had not been selected.

Rahane proved a point when he scored 48 in India’s second innings at the Wanderers. Conditions were difficult to say the least. He embraced the challenge, however, and ultimately played his team into a commanding position.  

India finished on 247 and with a 240-run lead. If not for Rahane’s heroics, India may have set South Africa a less formidable target of 200 or less.