With South Africa firmly in control, many anticipated an early declaration on the fourth day. Instead, the visitors extended their innings beyond a 500-run lead to give Stubbs time to reach his milestone. The 25-year-old looked set for a memorable hundred, but was dismissed six runs short, prompting skipper Temba Bavuma to immediately declare the innings at 260/5, setting India a daunting 549-run target.

Asked after stumps by the presenters whether the near-miss frustrated him, Stubbs responded, “Little bit, but they're two down now, so we'll take that.”

Explaining the timing of the declaration, Stubbs clarified that it was dictated by conditions rather than overs remaining. “(The declaration) Wasn't an overs thing, it was more about the time. We had 40 minutes after lunch. Thought I'll give it (the hundred) a go and then when Jadeja came on, that was the last over, so I thought two hits is my best shot,” he added.

Asked after stumps by the presenters whether the near-miss frustrated him, Stubbs responded, “Little bit, but they're two down now, so we'll take that.”

As the match heads into the final day, India require 522 runs to pull off an improbable chase, while South Africa need eight wickets to seal a 2-0 series victory.