The India vs South Africa 2nd Test has changed dramatically. South Africa is now in a strong position after the Indian team had a big batting collapse on Day 3. The India vs South Africa contest at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium has become a one-sided affair, with the visitors establishing a formidable 314-run lead by stumps.
Ind vs SA 2nd Test live coverage captured all the action as Marco Jansen’s spectacular six-wicket haul dismantled the Indian batting lineup, leaving former coach Ravi Shastri and cricket pundits stunned by what they termed “very ordinary” batting on a pitch with no visible demons.
Table of Contents
South Africa’s Commanding First Innings Total
Solid Foundation & Lower Order Resistance
South Africa began Day 3 with their overnight score of 489, thanks to outstanding performances from their lower order. Marco Jansen played a spectacular innings of 93 runs from just 91 deliveries, missing what would have been a maiden Test century by just seven runs.
His aggressive batting featured 6 fours and 7 sixes, demonstrating clean hitting and confident stroke play. Senuran Muthusamy provided valuable support with 45 runs, while Simon Harmer (5) and Dane Paterson (12*) contributed to the team’s imposing total.
The Indian bowling attack struggled to contain the South African tailenders. Kuldeep Yadav emerged as the most successful bowler with figures of 4/115 from 29.1 overs, while Jasprit Bumrah (2/75) and Mohammed Siraj (2/106) provided supporting roles.
The partnership between Jansen and Muthusamy yielded 97 crucial runs, extending South Africa’s dominance and setting a challenging target for the hosts.
Pitch Conditions & Assessment
Despite the wear and tear expected on Day 3, the pitch behaved surprisingly well, according to experts and players. Marco Jansen himself commented that the surface still had “nice pace and bounce” with only minimal nip or swing available for the bowlers.
He noted that spinners were beginning to find some purchase, with the ball occasionally holding up, suggesting that conditions might favor slow bowlers as the match progresses. This assessment made India’s subsequent batting collapse even more perplexing to commentators and fans alike.
India’s Batting Collapse: A Story of Poor Shot Selection
Top Order Failures
The India vs South Africa 2nd Test live action took a dramatic turn when India came out to bat. The opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul started promisingly with a 65-run partnership, showing patience and application against the South African attack. However, Rahul’s dismissal at 22 runs triggered an unprecedented collapse that saw India slump from 65/1 to 122/7.
Jaiswal top-scored with a fluent 58 off 97 balls, including 7 fours and 1 six, but his dismissal to Simon Harmer proved pivotal.
The young opener attempted a cut shot to a delivery that was too close to his body, resulting in a simple catch to Marco Jansen at backward point. His departure exposed the vulnerable middle order, which crumbled under sustained pressure from the South African bowlers.
Middle Order Capitulation
What followed was a procession of Indian batsmen returning to the pavilion in quick succession. Sai Sudharsan (15), promoted to number three, threw away his start by pulling a harmless Simon Harmer delivery directly to a fielder. Dhruv Jurel (7) fell to the same aggressive approach, mistiming a pull shot off Marco Jansen to be caught at mid-on.
The most criticized dismissal was that of Rishabh Pant, who charged down the track for what commentator Shaun Pollock described as an “old-school slog,” attempting to drag a ball angled across him only to feather an edge to the keeper.
Former players Anil Kumble and Dale Steyn were particularly scathing of Pant’s approach, emphasizing that as captain, he needed to “apply himself a little bit longer” and lead from the front rather than attempting aggressive strokes when the team was “behind the eight ball”.
Expert Criticism & Analysis
Former India coach Ravi Shastri didn’t mince words in his assessment of the batting performance. “This is still a good surface. This is not a pitch to be 142 for 7. Ordinary batting. India won’t be one bit happy. You have to put your hands up and say that’s very ordinary batting,” Shastri remarked during his commentary stint.
Former South African pacer Shaun Pollock, who observed that most dismissals were “soft” and difficult to understand since they didn’t come from “brilliant deliveries echoed his criticism.” Pollock walked viewers through several dismissals to highlight India’s culpability in their own downfall, pointing to poor shot selection and lack of application as primary factors.
Hope Amidst Collapse: Sundar-Kuldeep Fight
Fighting Partnership
Amidst the ruins of India’s batting innings, a glimmer of hope emerged through the resilient partnership between Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav. The duo added 72 crucial runs for the eighth wicket, demonstrating the patience and shot selection that had eluded their top-order teammates. Sundar played with particular composure, scoring 48 runs from 92 deliveries before eventually falling to Simon Harmer, caught at first slip.
Kuldeep Yadav displayed remarkable temperament, facing 134 balls for his 19 runs in a defiant rearguard action that frustrated the South African attack. His disciplined approach stood in stark contrast to the hurried dismissals of specialist batsmen, though he eventually fell to Marco Jansen, giving Aiden Markram his fifth catch of the innings.
Technical Application
The partnership between Sundar and Kuldeep highlighted how batting on this surface required patience and smart shot selection rather than aggressive intent. They played each ball on its merit, left deliveries outside off stump, and capitalized on loose balls when they appeared.
Their approach proved that runs were possible through conventional Test match batting, making the top order’s collapse even more frustrating for the Indian camp.
Marco Jansen: The Destroyer-in-Chief
Spectacular Bowling Figures
Marco Jansen produced one of the finest bowling performances by a visiting fast bowler in recent Indian history, finishing with figures of 6/48 from 21.5 overs. His ability to extract bounce from the surface troubled all Indian batsmen, with his height and high release point creating awkward angles and disproportionate bounce compared to other bowlers.
Jansen’s wickets included a perfect mix of dismissals – he claimed top-order batsmen through disciplined line and length, while dismantling the lower order with well-directed short balls. His six-wicket haul represented his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket, cementing his reputation as a genuine all-rounder rather than just a bowling contributor.
Effective Game Plan
Jansen revealed after the day’s play that his strategy centered on exploiting the bounce in the wicket. “There’s obviously a nice pace and bounce in the wicket. Not a lot of nip or swing, a little bit here at the end. Once we saw there was a bit of bounce and better pace in the wicket, we tried to utilize that,” he explained.
His approach of targeting the batsmen’s bodies with short-pitched deliveries proved particularly effective, with several Indian batsmen falling to the pull shot or fending awkwardly at rising deliveries. Nitish Reddy (6) gloved a Jansen bouncer to gully, while Ravindra Jadeja (10) could only fend another short ball to the slips, illustrating the success of this tactic.
South Africa’s Second Innings & Match Situation
Cautious Approach
By stumps on Day 3, South Africa had reached 26/0 in their second innings, extending their overall lead to 314 runs. Openers Aiden Markram (12) and Ryan Rickelton (13) navigated a tricky 7-over period before bad light stopped play, preserving all ten wickets intact for Day 4.
The decision not to enforce the follow-on raised some eyebrows, but captain Temba Bavuma likely considered giving his bowlers adequate rest and avoiding batting last on a deteriorating surface. With two full days remaining and a massive lead already established, South Africa finds itself in an almost unassailable position.
Historical Context & Series Implications
This dominant performance comes after South Africa’s victory in the first Test, putting them in position to secure a historic series win in India. The visitors have outplayed India in all departments – their batsmen have shown greater application, their bowlers have been more disciplined, and their fielding has been sharp, with Aiden Markram alone taking five catches in India’s first innings.
Former India opener Abhinav Mukund highlighted the significance of this performance, noting, “Definite question marks about Indian batsmen. India won’t play a Test series next year at home. They have a long time to reassess what to do at the Test match level. This performance against South Africa will definitely hurt”.
What Next
The India vs SA 2nd Test has slipped dramatically away from India on Day 3, leaving them with a nearly impossible task to save the match. The India vs South Africa contest has exposed significant vulnerabilities in India’s Test batting lineup, with technical deficiencies and questionable shot selection undermining their home advantage.
For those following Ind vs SA 2nd Test live updates, the day belonged unequivocally to South Africa, specifically Marco Jansen, whose all-round excellence has positioned his team for a landmark series victory.
Unless India can produce an extraordinary turnaround on Days 4 and 5, South Africa appears destined to complete a comprehensive victory that will rank among their finest overseas achievements in recent memory.
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My name is Krishanu Das the founder of the Sports Dribble.
I am Accountant by profession but a Sports Blogger by passion.
I am passionate about sharing my all knowledge and experiences of sports, with my readers and every sports enthusiast.
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