South Africa end at 101/2 versus India at stumps on day 3, need another 111 runs to win. 

Rishabh Pant managed a spectacular, unbeaten 100, as India faced a difficult pitch on Thursday. However, the decisive final test remains in the balance. 

South Africa made steady progress toward victory late on the third day, with Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen putting on a 78-run stand after losing opener Aiden Markram early in the game. 

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However, Elgar was out to an edge down the legside on what turned out to be the last ball of the day. This gave India renewed hope in its aim to finally win a Test series in South Africa.

South Africa captain Elgar’s dismissal got confirmed through a review and India captain Virat Kohli showed his enthusiasm when it became clear that his opposite number was to go back to the bench for 30. Elgar was South Africa’s match-winner in the second Test to level the three-match series 1-1 and helped set up the deciding clash at Newlands, Cape Town.

Up until now, the series has been tight and with low scores. In this test, top-ranked India batted first and reached 223, South Africa got back with 210, while India made 198 in its second innings managing to set the home team a target of 212, in order to take the series.

At the close, Petersen was 48 not out. 

Meanwhile, Pant’s fourth century turned out to be priceless for India since no other Indian batsman could get the better of the Newlands surface, with Kohli’s 29 becoming the next best score, and the only other one to score more than 10. 

Pant managed to hit six fours and four sixes in an innings befitting his style, and also after coming in with India under pressure at 58-4 having lost two wickets in the first two overs of the day.

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The left-hander hit his century just in time, with India nine wickets down and Jasprit Bumrah, the last man, hanging in alongside. Bumrah was soon sent back for 2 and South Africa claimed six wickets in the second session, setting up an intriguing finish to the series.

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The Proteas could win with a successful fourth-innings chase just like they did to level the series in Johannesburg.

[Edited with AP Inputs]