West Indies vs South Africa 2nd Test Day 3 Live Score Updates

UPDATE - 7.38 pm IST (1408 GMT) - We have a pleasing news! Day 3 will commence at 8 pm IST (1430 GMT), which is almost 20 minutes from now. Lunch will be taken at 10 pm IST (1630 GMT).

Kyle Verreynne is up for a flash interview. He says that the top order showed some intent and batted well. He also states that yesterday, the wicket was a bit slow but everything was nice and positive out in the middle. Adds that he is enjoying playing away from home and adjusting to the conditions. Ends up saying that he had a heated moment with Jayden Seales but they know each other very well and chatted with each other at the end of day's play.

UPDATE - 7.26 pm IST (1356 GMT) - Good news, folks! The sun is peeking out of the clouds now and the covers have been peeled off from the pitch. Although the region straight down the ground at one end is still covered. The groundsmen are working hard so that the play starts as quickly as possible. More pleasing update. The players of the respective sides are out now and are carrying out their pre-match drills. Stay tuned for further updates.

Jomel Warrican is up for a chat. He says that it's a firm start from his team. He continues that the first Test was drawn but they need to work harder for more positive results. He also states that Motie was bowling well with the rhythm. He reckons that bowling wicket to wicket is key as the bounce is low. Ends by saying the ball might get swollen because of rain but they need to be consistent.

UPDATE - 7.18 pm IST (1348 GMT) - Uh, oh! The start of the play has been officially delayed due to wet outfield. The pitch and the squares are under covers right now. And as per the on-air commentators, there was a heavy shower earlier in the morning. But the good thing is, there's no rain around right now and the super soppers are rolling around the park. The skies are still overcast though. The inspection is scheduled to be at 7.30 pm IST (1400 GMT).

It’s down to who can hang in there, play the basics right and apply themselves with resilience. So, in whose favour is this game tilted toward? Well, cricket pundits may say towards the Proteas as they have taken a healthy lead already. But you never know what’s on the cards in the game of cricket. Another engrossing day of cricket in the whites is up next shortly, folks! Stick around as the first ball of Day 3 will be bowled at 7.30 pm IST (1400 GMT).

The weather’s perfect for the rest of the match days, so there’s still plenty of time left - three remaining days to be precise. It’s quite inevitable that we will have the result. The players have had their patience tested, and we’ve seen the ball just miss and flirt the edges repeatedly. With the second new ball just 10 overs away, it would be engaging to see how the pacers operate with the new cherry with the movement diminishing as compared to the previous days. Also, we might see an early introduction of the tweakers as well.

These frequent swings and momentum shifts have resulted in a gripping contest as we approach Day 3, with South Africa holding an advantage and their lead now standing at 239 runs. The Proteas will likely aim to add at least another 100 runs or more to feel the job done and truly comfortable in their position. Meanwhile, the West Indies will be banking on their pace trio of Holder, Joseph, and Seales to make early breakthroughs. With Motie already finding purchase due to the wear and tear, and the pitch getting deteriorated with the progress, eyes will be on how Verreynne and Mulder navigate the initial phase of play. They will aim to go unblemished while the hosts are in desperate search of wickets. What happens in the first hour or so will highly influence the direction of the game ahead.

The contest took another dramatic turn as the West Indies triggered a sudden collapse through a collective bowling effort. Four quick wickets fell just in the span of 19 runs, evening out the match and catapulting the hosts into a decent position. However, just as things were looking up for the Windies, an unbroken 84-run stand between Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder has shifted the balance once again, putting South Africa back in control. West Indies were fairly sloppy in the field and could’ve extracted a couple of more wickets had they grabbed those regulation catches. As a result, capitalising on those reprieves, South Africa managed to score 112 runs in the final session of the previous day.

Let’s briefly recap what transpired on Day 2. The West Indies found valiant resistance from Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph, but with the bat, they forged a crucial last-wicket partnership that helped to reduce the deficit significantly. The momentum then swiftly swung to South Africa as Markram and de Zorzi's brisk opening stand put the visitors in command. Markram, overcoming a lean patch, redeemed himself with a half-century. As the day progressed, the pitch became more conducive for batting, with diminished ball movement, but Gudakesh Motie's spin kept batters cautious, extracting good grip and turn.

Hello and welcome to our coverage of Day 3 of this crucial 2nd Test match between West Indies and South Africa at Providence Stadium in Guyana, which also serves as the series decider. While Day 3 is typically seen as the 'moving day' in Test cricket, with the pitch evening out and demanding application and endurance from players, this match has progressed briskly. It has tilted back and forth several times, making it a sheer engaging and entertaining contest.

... DAY 3, SESSION 1 ...

At the end of it all though, South Africa still have five wickets in hand and have stretched the second-innings lead to a solid 239 runs. Day 3 is generally known as the moving day in Test cricket and it surely will be make or break for either side. West Indies will need to be at their best in the field right from the off otherwise, they could be staring at a big target to chase down in the fourth innings. Day 3 will begin on Saturday at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT) but you can join us a lot sooner for the build-up as well. Cheers!

Jason Holder is down for a quick chat, reflecting on the day's play. Holder says that it was important to build partnerships and appreciated Shamar Joseph's knock with the bat. Adds that it is a different challenge for him to bat at number 6. Mentions that they focussed on bowling disciplined lines and lengths. Feels that the right execution is very important and momentum plays a huge factor in Test cricket.

Kyle Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder came to the crease with the game hanging in the balance and if either of them fell early, South Africa could have lost all the advantage. However, the pair remained resolute and Verreynne played a few authoritative shots every now and then with Mulder mustering up runs at the other end as well. They finished the day with a few big shots and put on an unbeaten stand of 84 runs, the highest of this whole series so far.

West Indies found a second wind with the ball and South Africa's 120/1 became 139/5 in the blink of an eye. This was thanks to a combined effort from Gudakesh Motie and Jayden Seales. Motie bowled a prolonged spell and picked up 2 wickets whereas Seales got 3 wickets. However, the momentum shifted again in the final session and the Proteas batters were able to strike back.

South Africa got off to a sensational start in their second innings with the new ball not doing much in the air or off the deck this time around. The openers put on 79 runs before de Zorzi fell and then Tristan Stubbs provided ample support to Aiden Markram as the latter brought up a fine fifty. Once Markram fell though, it was a different ball game.

Day 2 began with West Indies 7 down and desperately looking to keep the first innings deficit down to a minimum but they were 9 down in a jiffy. It was a quickfire final wicket stand worth 40 runs between Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph that kept the deficit down to 16 runs.

STUMPS, DAY 2! 25 overs, 112 runs and 4 wickets in that session. End of a fascinating day's play but at the end of Day 2 of the 2nd Test, South Africa will be the happier of the two sides heading into Day 3 as they lead by 239 runs and the hosts, West Indies have some work to do.