The third day of the second Test match between India and South Africa saw the visitors asserting their dominance. Batting first, South Africa built a significant lead, contributing to India's challenges throughout Day 3. While Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul initially provided a solid start, India’s batting order quickly crumbled once Rahul was dismissed. The Indian lineup suffered a series of losses, including Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, and Anuj Jurel, leading to a precarious situation for the team. Rishabh Pant's lack of match awareness proved costly as he fell to an ill-timed shot, exacerbating India's troubles.

Marco Jansen emerged as South Africa's hero with a remarkable bowling performance, taking six wickets for just 48 runs, and effectively dismantling India's batting order. Despite these setbacks, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav managed to forge an eighth-wicket partnership of 72 runs, helping India surpass the 200-run mark before being all out. South Africa chose not to enforce the follow-on, extending their lead to 314 runs, with Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickleton still at the crease.

Moving forward, India must adapt their bowling strategy, drawing inspiration from Jansen's technique of targeting the batters' bodies to gain an upper hand. However, India's star bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, appear desperate for wickets, showing signs of struggling under the pressure. Current match updates indicate that South Africa is leading comfortably, having scored 22 runs without loss in their second inning.

Both former Indian legends, Anil Kumble and Dale Steyn, have criticized India’s approach in the first innings. Kumble highlighted Rishabh Pant's aggressive tactics, suggesting that he should have mirrored Temba Bavuma's more cautious approach from the first Test, where he helped stabilize the innings. Steyn echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for Indian players to focus and apply themselves better at the crease rather than rushing their decisions in a match where they are already lagging. As the match approaches its later stages, India’s performance will need significant improvement for them to regain their footing in this crucial Test match.