India clawed their way back into the contest on Day 4 of the second Test in Guwahati after Ravindra Jadeja ended South Africa’s solid opening stand by removing Ryan Rickelton for 35. Despite the breakthrough, the visitors continued to dominate, building steadily on their already imposing lead.

Jadeja delivers first breakthrough for India

South Africa resumed Day 4 with a firm grip on the match, and the opening pair of Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton added crucial runs before Jadeja broke through. Rickelton, attempting an aggressive stroke, was caught by Mohammed Siraj at mid-wicket. The dismissal brought Tristan Stubbs to the crease alongside Markram.

Even after the breakthrough, Jadeja continued to bowl tight lines, conceding only a single run in one over and consistently troubling the batters.

South Africa stretch lead as India search for wickets

Following the visitors’ massive first-innings advantage of 288 runs, Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs focused on consolidating the lead. By the 29th over, South Africa reached 75/2, extending their lead to 363 runs.

India’s bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, looked for early success, but the South African batters were cautious. At one point, Siraj struck the stumps at the non-striker’s end with a direct hit, but Rickelton was declared safe after replays.

Pant faces pressure as India struggle

Stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant, leading the side in the absence of Shubman Gill, continued experimenting with bowling combinations. While Bumrah opened strongly, the decision to bring Washington Sundar early into the attack surprised many, considering the spinner has not taken a wicket so far in the series.

A tense moment at drinks showed Pant in an animated discussion with Sundar, underlining India’s desperation for wickets.

With India trailing 0-1 in the two-Test series, the team faces the possibility of a whitewash, which would significantly hurt their World Test Championship 2027 campaign. India currently sit fourth on the WTC points table.

India’s batting collapse continues to haunt them

South Africa’s strong position stemmed from India’s first-innings collapse, where only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58) and Washington Sundar (48) offered resistance. Marco Jansen’s fiery spell—claiming six wickets—crippled the Indian batting order.

South Africa had earlier posted 489 in their first innings, with notable contributions from Senuran Muthusamy and Jansen.

India’s innings derailed early on Day 3 of the second Test in Guwahati, with the hosts losing three wickets for just seven runs during a tense first session. Chasing South Africa’s imposing first-innings total of 489, India slipped to 102/4 after 35.3 overs, leaving skipper Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja to steady the innings.

India lose momentum after promising start

India began the day with overnight batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul rotating strike well, bringing up a composed opening stand. Jaiswal reached his half-century off 85 balls, striking six boundaries and a six. Rahul contributed 22 before he was dismissed in the slips off Keshav Maharaj.

Sai Sudharsan, batting at No. 3, showed promise with a boundary through the covers but fell soon after for a single-digit score. Jaiswal’s dismissal for 58, taken brilliantly by Marco Jansen at third man off Simon Harmer, triggered India’s slide.

Replacing Shubman Gill at No. 4, Dhruv Jurel struggled to settle in and eventually miscued a short delivery, handing Keshav Maharaj an easy catch. The wicket left India in deeper trouble as Jurel departed for a 10-ball duck.

South Africa maintain control

Earlier, South Africa built a dominant first-innings total of 489, powered by Senuran Muthusamy’s maiden Test century (107) and Marco Jansen’s quickfire 93 off 91 balls. Kuldeep Yadav stood out for India with four wickets.

With India still trailing by 387 runs, the pressure remains high as Pant and Jadeja attempt to rebuild.

India faced an unexpected setback on Day 2 of the first Test in Kolkata as captain Shubman Gill briefly left the field after facing just three balls, creating an early injury concern for the hosts. The incident occurred shortly after India lost their No. 3 batter Washington Sundar, who fell for 29 during the morning session.

India steady after early wicket

India resumed Day 2 at Eden Gardens trailing South Africa by 80 runs and reached 79/2 after 35 overs, with KL Rahul and Shubman Gill at the crease. Rahul, who has looked composed throughout the innings, crossed the 4,000 Test-run mark with a boundary off the first over of the day.

Sundar, promoted to No. 3, displayed solid defensive temperament and struck a series of elegant strokes—including a six over long-off—but was dismissed while attempting to block spinner Simon Harmer, edging to Aiden Markram at slip.

Day 1 belonged to Jasprit Bumrah

India entered Day 2 in a commanding position after bowling out South Africa for 159 on the opening day. Jasprit Bumrah delivered a stellar performance, picking up a five-wicket haul on a surface that drew criticism from South Africa’s batting coach Ashwell Prince, who raised concerns over inconsistent bounce.

Rahul shows resilience, Gill’s brief stay raises concern

Rahul continued his disciplined batting approach, adding crucial runs with cautious strokeplay. His partnership with Sundar earlier in the session helped India maintain stability.

Gill’s entrance was greeted with loud cheers from the Eden Gardens crowd, but his quick departure from the field raised concerns. The extent of the issue was not mentioned in the provided details.