Well, Day 2 of the final Test in Guwahati has come to a close, and if you're an Indian fan, you might want to look away. What started as a day of hope for Team India quickly turned into a showcase of grit and power from South Africa's lower order. The Proteas completely dominated the proceedings, piling on the runs to finish with a massive first-innings total of 489, all thanks to a stunning maiden Test hundred from Senuran Muthusamy and a destructive innings from Marco Jansen.
Key Highlights
- ✓ Spinner Senuran Muthusamy scored a memorable maiden Test century, a brilliant 109 runs.
- ✓ Marco Jansen played a blistering knock of 93 from just 91 balls, including 7 sixes.
- ✓ South Africa posted a mammoth first-innings total of 489 runs, putting India under immense pressure.
- ✓ For India, Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with a hard-fought four-wicket haul.
- ✓ At stumps on Day 2, India is 9/0, still trailing by a massive 480 runs with a mountain to climb.
A Day of Toil for the Indian Bowlers
Let's set the scene. The match is being played at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, which is hosting its first-ever Test match. South Africa came into this game leading the two-match series 1-0 after a 30-run victory in Kolkata. For India, this is a must-win encounter to draw the series, but the visitors clearly have other plans. They resumed Day 2 on 247 for 6, a position from which India would have hoped to wrap things up quickly.
However, that's not how it played out. Not even close. The morning session was a story of pure frustration for the Indian bowlers. The pitch wasn't offering much help, and the duo of Senuran Muthusamy and Kyle Verreynne dug in deep. The Indian pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, bowled disciplined lines, with Bumrah even delivering a string of maiden overs, but a breakthrough remained elusive. It was a proper grind, and the South African pair ensured they didn't give their wickets away.
The Partnership That Changed the Game
Muthusamy and Verreynne just kept batting, building a partnership that slowly but surely took the game away from India's grasp. They added a crucial 88 runs for the seventh wicket, pushing the team's total well past 300. It took a long, long time for India to find a way through. Finally, it was the ever-reliable Ravindra Jadeja who broke the stand, stumping Kyle Verreynne for a well-made 45 off 122 balls. At 334/7, India must have breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they were finally into the tail.
But that's when things went from bad to worse for the home side. In walked Marco Jansen, and what followed was an absolute onslaught that no one saw coming. He didn't just support Muthusamy; he went on a full-blown attack that left the Indian bowlers and captain Rishabh Pant completely stunned.
Muthusamy's Dream Century and Jansen's Blitz
While Jansen was carting the ball to all parts of the ground, Senuran Muthusamy was playing the anchor role to perfection. The spinner, who was brought into the side for this match, showed incredible composure and technique. He reached his fifty and just kept going, frustrating every Indian bowler thrown at him. His partnership with Jansen for the eighth wicket was worth a mammoth 97 runs, completely demoralizing the Indian camp.
The big moment came in the 135th over when Muthusamy tucked a ball for two runs to bring up his maiden Test century. The entire South African dressing room was on its feet, applauding a truly special innings under pressure. He was eventually dismissed by Mohammed Siraj for a fantastic 109 off 206 deliveries, caught in the deep by Yashasvi Jaiswal. It was an innings of immense character and skill.
The Final Flourish from the Tail
Even after Muthusamy’s departure, the runs didn't stop flowing. Jansen continued his aggressive batting, looking certain to get a hundred of his own. Unfortunately for him, he fell just seven runs short, bowled by Kuldeep Yadav for 93, ending a truly breathtaking knock. South Africa's tail wagged effectively, pushing the total to a colossal 489 before Kuldeep Yadav finally wrapped up the innings by dismissing Jansen.
Kuldeep Yadav was the most successful Indian bowler, finishing with figures of 4 for 151, but it was a day of hard labor. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja all picked up two wickets each, but the sheer volume of runs conceded tells the story of South Africa's dominance.
Team Tactics and India's Uphill Battle
It's worth noting the team changes made for this crucial match. India brought in Nitish Kumar Reddy for Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan for Axar Patel. South Africa made a key change, bringing in spinner Senuran Muthusamy for Corbin Bosch. This move proved to be a masterstroke, not for his bowling yet, but for his match-defining century. The visitors went in with a spin trio of Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, and Simon Harmer, a strategy that suggests they expect the pitch to take turn later on.
With a handful of overs left in the day, Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul had the tricky task of navigating the new ball. They managed to do so without any damage, but the challenge ahead is monumental. At the close of play, India was 9 for no loss after 6.1 overs, with Jaiswal on 7 and Rahul on 2. They trail by an intimidating 480 runs.
Conclusion
To put it simply, Day 2 was a perfect day for the Proteas. They have batted India completely out of the game, setting a formidable first-innings total of 489. The heroic century from Senuran Muthusamy and the explosive batting from Marco Jansen were the highlights of a day where the visitors put their stamp on this Test match. India now faces an enormous task just to save the game, let alone win it to level the series. The Indian batsmen will need to show incredible resilience and skill over the next three days to climb this steep mountain.
