India had slumped to 92 for seven in reply to South Africa's first innings total of 286 when Pandya found a determined ally in Bhuvneshwar Kumar. While 24-year-old Pandya went for his shots, Kumar took 34 balls to score his first run but then played some fine strokes of his own, scoring 25 in an eighth wicket partnership of 99 which more than doubled their team's total.
The partnership frustrated the South African bowlers and kept them in the field long enough for Dale Steyn to give South Africa another injury scare. Steyn, in his first Test match since suffering a fractured shoulder in Australia in November 2014, had taken two for 51 when he pulled up with a bruised heel and left the field three balls into his 18th over. After treatment in the dressing room he was sent for a scan.
Steyn would have hoped to end Pandya's innings - and hasten the demise of the Indian batting effort - long before he was called upon to bowl a fourth spell in what was his longest and most intensive bowling effort since his shoulder injury. Pandya struggled against Steyn early in his innings. He survived on a review after being given out caught behind off the fast bowler on five and was dropped by Dean Elgar at gully off Steyn when he had 15.
Pandya, 24, confirmed the reputation he earned as a dashing stroke player, first in limited overs cricket and more recently when he scored 178 runs off 168 balls in three Test innings in Sri Lanka last year, including 108 off 96 deliveries in the third Test in Kandy. He hit 14 fours on Saturday as well as a six off left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj's second ball of the match. He charged out to the next ball and should have been stumped with his score on 71.
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Scoreboard South Africa, first innings, 286
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India, first innings (overnight 28-3)
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M. Vijay c Elgar b Philander 1
S. Dhawan c and b Steyn 16
C. Pujara c Du Plessis b Philander 26
V. Kohli c De Kock b Morkel 5
R. Sharma lbw b Rabada 11
R. Ashwin c De Kock b Philander 12
H. Pandya c De Kock b Rabada 93
W. Saha lbw b Steyn 0
B. Kumar c De Kock b Morkel 25
Mohammed Shami not out 4
J. Bumrah c Elgar b Rabada 2
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Extras: (b1, lb13) 14
Total: (73.4 overs) 209
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Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Vijay), 2-18 (Dhawan), 3-27 (Kohli), 4-57 (Sharma), 5-76 (Pujara), 6-81 (Ashwin), 7-92 (Saha), 8-191 (Kumar), 9-199 (Pandya), 10-209 (Bumrah)
Bowling: Philander 14.3-8-33-3, Steyn 17.3-6-51-2, Morkel 19-6-57-2, Rabada 16.4-4-34-3, Maharaj 6-0-20-0
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South Africa, second innings
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A. Markram c Kumar b Pandya 34
D. Elgar c Saha b Pandya 25
K. Rabada not out 2
H. Amla not out 4
Total: (2 wkts, 20 overs) 65
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Fall of wickets: 1-52 (Markram), 2-59 (Elgar)
Bowling: Kumar 6-3-16-0, Bumrah 4-0-14-0, Mohammed Shami 5-1-15-0, Pandya 4-0-17-2, Ashwin 1-0-3-0
Toss: South Africa
Umpires: Michael Gough, Richard Kettleborough (both ENG)
TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG).