The Proteas Test team will wake up early on Tuesday morning in India just for their hosts to finish them off on the fourth day of the third Test in Ranchi.
Down and out at 132/8 in their second innings when stumps were called on Monday afternoon, South Africa have virtually no chance of winning or drawing the Test.
India, meanwhile, need just two wickets, with Theunis de Bruyn (30*) and Anrich Nortje (5*) at the crease, to claim a series whitewash against their embarrassing visitors.
The hosts took an incredible 16 South African wickets on the day to wipe out any hopes of a challenge from the South Africans.
Starting Day Three on 9/2 in reply to India’s 497/9 declared, South Africa were bowled out for 162 in their first innings, their lowest total in an already sorry series.
And it wasn’t even India’s spinners that did the most damage, with fast bowler Umesh Yadav claiming 3/40, with Capetonian batsman Zubayr Hamza (62) putting on a fight for the visitors.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSA pic.twitter.com/VtkivGYS16
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA)
But it wasn’t enough as SA were forced to follow on.
The momentum stayed with the hosts, this time speedster Mohammed Shami doing the most damage (3/10).
Shami got rid of Hamza (0), Faf du Plessis (4) and Temba Bavuma (0) as the Proteas’ top order collapsed to 36/5.
To add injury to insult, opener Dean Elgar (16*) was struck on the head by a Yadav delivery and was replaced by De Bruin as the lower order saved some face for South Africa.