India well clear of Proteas after day two

India were in brilliant form on day two of the third Test with South Africa as they declared 497-9. Rohit Sharma hit a career-best 212 on the day as South Africa could not find a way to stop the world’s top-ranked Test side. It is his maiden double Test century having previously hit three of them in the ODI format and he was one of many who impressed for India on the day. The Proteas’ bowling attack was toothless and India declared on 497-9 to allow South Africa to bat before the close of play. Dean Elgar was dismissed for a duck while Quinton de Kock went for just four as what has been a miserable tour for the South Africans continued. Bad light stopped play any further but that will only prove a small crumb of comfort as they must overturn the huge deficit to avoid a 3-0 series whitewash. India were superb, however, and middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane contributed 115 in a 267 partnership with Sharma. Ravindra Jadeja hit 51, while Umesh Yadav smashed five sixes to score 31 from just 10 balls before the declaration, as Mohammed Shami and Yadav then ripped through the top order with two cracking deliveries India have already won the Freedom Trophy – named in honour of political heavyweights Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela – and it will require something miraculous from South Africa to avoid the humiliation of the whitewash.