South Africa seized control of the second Test in Guwahati with a powerful lower-order resurgence, posting a commanding 489 in their first innings on day two. At stumps, India were 9 for no loss from 6.1 overs, still trailing by 480 runs and facing a formidable task to level the two-match series.
Senuran Muthusamy led the Proteas dominance with a gritty maiden Test century, scoring 109 off 206 balls, while Marco Jansen played one of the most brutal counter-attacking knocks seen from an overseas batter on Indian soil—an explosive 93 off 91 balls. Their 97-run stand for the ninth wicket completely shifted momentum after South Africa resumed the day in a vulnerable position at 247 for six.
Earlier, Muthusamy added 88 for the seventh wicket with Kyle
Verreynne (45), laying the platform for a remarkable lower-order fightback. In total, the last four wickets contributed a staggering 243 runs.
Indian Spin Struggles Exposed
Jansen’s onslaught—featuring seven towering sixes, surpassing Viv Richards and Matthew Hayden’s record for most sixes by a visiting batter in India—left the Indian attack rattled. The innings stretched across 151.1 overs, forcing all five specialist bowlers to exceed 25 overs each, a rare scenario in Test cricket.
While Kuldeep Yadav emerged the most successful bowler with figures of 4 for 115, he deviated from his successful day-one rhythm by increasing pace, limiting drift and deception. Jasprit Bumrah (2/75) remained India’s most threatening option, briefly extracting reverse swing before support from the other end fizzled.
The spotlight, however, fell harshly on the finger-spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja (2/94) and Washington Sundar (0/58), who struggled for penetration on a placid surface offering neither turn nor bounce. Their inability to build pressure allowed South Africa’s lower order to counterattack with freedom.
The flat performance reignited concerns about India’s growing reliance on rank turners and the impact of white-ball cricket habits influencing pace and trajectory in Tests.
India Look to Reply with the Bat
India now turn to their batters in hope of capitalising on batting-friendly conditions before the surface begins to deteriorate. The last instance of a visiting side posting 450-plus in India and still losing came in Chennai in 2016, when Karun Nair’s triple century carried India to victory after England’s 477—Jadeja taking seven in the final innings.
With the red-soil pitch expected to crumble rapidly over the final two days, India must respond strongly to keep the Test—and series—alive.
(With PTI Inputs)
