Simon Harmer claims three wickets to edge Proteas closer to the Holy Grail in India

Simon Harmer is enjoying the tour of his dreams with the off-spinner inching the Proteas closer to the holy grail of a first Test series victory in India for 25 years.

Harmer claimed all the three Indian wickets to fall on the fifth and final morning of the second Test in Guwahathi as the hosts plunged from their overnight 27/2 to 58/5. 

They have since managed to keep the Proteas at bay to move to 90/5 when the players left the field at the end of the first session.

But the morning belonged to Harmer who created chances of almost every over. First to depart was nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav, who had already been granted a lifeline earlier in the morning when Aiden Markram dropped a sharp chance at first slip.

Harmer, bowling around the wicket, sent down a quicker delivery that came in from the angle to crash into the middle stump. 

The Proteas had their first of eight wickets required in the day, and soon had a couple more when the Harmer and Markram combination came into play again. On this occasion, Markram held both chances offered up by Dhruv Patel (2) and captain Rishabh Pant (13).

India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja was defiant at Thursday's post-match press conference, stating that: "We will have to bat well, take it session by session," Jadeja said.

"If we don't give a wicket in the first session, then there will obviously be pressure on the bowlers, that they need to bowl us out. For us, that will be the win-win situation - if we can bat out the full day tomorrow. For us, it'll be as good as a winning situation."

Jadeja has since backed up his statement by toiling defiantly and remains unbeaten on 23 off 40 balls. 

He still has Sai Sudharsan, who was the benefactor of a Marco Jansen no-ball, as his partner at the crease as India to look to survive the remaining 59 overs.

SCOREBOARD

Second Test, Day 5, ‘Tea’

South Africa 489 all out & 260/5

India: 201 all out & 90/5 (Jadeja 23*, Harmer 4/23)

India requires 459 runs for victory