South Africa were 497 for eight, a lead of 163 runs, when early tea was taken on the fourth and penultimate day of the second and final cricket Test against India here today.
At Kingsmead, play was stopped with nearly 30 minutes remaining in the post-lunch session, as the umpires called for an early tea-break with Faf du Plessis batting on 41.
Robin Peterson was out for 61 just before the rain came.
Rain intervened for the fourth successive day in the second Test between India and South Africa here, even as the home side built a lead of 163 runs at tea on day four.
The start of the post-lunch session was also delayed by 15 minutes due to rain today.
Peterson (61 off 52 balls) hit a quick-fire fifty, studded with nine fours and a six to help build the lead over India, who had score 334 runs in their first innings. He put up 110 runs with du Plessis as their partnership progressed at 6.11 runs per over.
Ravindra Jadeja picked his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket, in his first match overseas, taking 5/138 from 58 overs. Zaheer Khan (2/95) picked up a wicket on either side of lunch. Mohammad Shami (1/104) was taken for runs after the second new ball, as was Ishant Sharma (0/114). Rohit Sharma (0/29) was the only other bowler tried.
Starting at 395/7 after play was again delayed by 15 minutes post lunch, Peterson and du Plessis looked for runs as against the approach seen early in the day. The first over after the break bowled by Zaheer was taken for two boundaries and the batsmen attacked Jadeja as well.
India delayed taking the new ball still, apparently keen to play for time and force a draw. But five overs later, in the 147th, the two umpires decided to change the ball and gave India their second new ball.
Peterson should have been given LBW on a delivery bowled by Mohammed Shami by the umpires thought otherwise. The batsman was on 31 runs at that time and went on to cause mayhem afterwards. The new ball also meant that Jadeja's marathon spell came to an end during which he returned figures of 25-8-53-2.
