'Both the men and women in blue are doing wonders' - Netizens react as Sneh Rana, Sune Luus shine bright on Day 3 of Chennai Test

In their pursuit of coming anywhere close to India Women's imposing first innings total of 603/6, South Africa concluded Day 2 of the Chennai Test at 236/4 following on. Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk remained undefeated on 69* and 27*, respectively. Sneh Rana emerged as the standout among the bowlers, claiming three of the four Proteas' wickets, including the crucial dismissal of Sune Luus, who batted impressively during her 65-run knock in the middle.

It was all about Rana in the first hour of Day 3 though, as she bagged five of the remaining six South African wickets to register her best bowling figures of 8/77 in 25.3 overs. This splendid achievement marked her as only the second Indian woman to claim eight scalps in an innings, following Neetu David against the English (8/53 in 1995).

Check Here: IND-W vs SA-W: Sneh Rana continues red ball dominance, claiming eight wicket haul against South Africa in Chennai Test

Kapp and de Klerk's tenure at the crease was brief, which was majorly compounded by Rana's impeccable bowling spell. What followed was a staggering collapse of the remainder of the batting line-up. The last five South African batters could only contribute a combined total of nine runs as the Proteas folded for 266.

It was a straightforward decision for skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur, to enforce a follow-on, who anticipated the Indian bowlers to further assert dominance on a deteriorating pitch. This expectation seemed further justified when opener, Anneke Bosch, got trapped in front to a delivery that kept exceedingly low, giving Deepti Sharma her third wicket of the match. However, what ensued was a remarkable blend of resilience, determination, and grit, served up to the Indians during what was already shaping up to be a taxing day in the field for them. 

Luus and skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, persevered relentlessly, gradually wearing down the Indian bowlers and capitalizing on any loose deliveries offered to them. Their partnership exhausted the resources of the Indian bowling attack, which showed no signs of yielding wickets as the overs unfolded.

Check Here: IND-W vs SA-W Fantasy League Tips

It was only in the 74th over of the innings that a skidding delivery from Harmanpreet breached the defences of Luus, who departed after a commendable 109 off 203, which was her maiden century in the format. Wolvaardt and Kapp ended the day's play with the Proteas at 232/2 in 85 overs in the follow-on innings, with the former just seven runs short of another ton in the ongoing tour.

Here's how X reacted to Day 3 of the one-off Test between India and South Africa