Proteas Bowling Attack Puts India on the Brink
In a dramatic collapse on day three of the second Test at Guwahati's ACA Stadium, the Indian cricket team finds itself staring at the prospect of a humiliating and rare follow-on on home soil. By the drinks break in the second session on Monday, the hosts had crumbled to a precarious 141 for 7 in their first innings.
A Daunting Deficit and Historical Precedent
India's situation is dire. The team still trails South Africa's first innings total by a massive 348 runs and needs another 149 runs merely to avoid the follow-on. If India are bowled out for fewer than 290, South African captain Dean Elgar will have the option to enforce the follow-on, a scenario that has become increasingly likely after a relentless bowling display from the visitors.
The Proteas were utterly dominant in the key sessions, picking up four wickets in the morning and then compounding India's misery with three more quick wickets in the first hour after tea. This has left India's lower-order batsmen with the nearly impossible task of staving off what now feels like an inevitable outcome.
The Weight of History
A forced follow-on at home would be a deeply embarrassing event for Indian cricket, marking only the fourth such instance in the nation's Test history. The last time this happened was 15 years ago, and ironically, it was also at the hands of South Africa. In that 2010 Nagpur Test, India were dismissed for 233 in reply to South Africa's 558/6 declared and went on to lose by an innings and six runs.
The other two occasions where India were forced to follow-on at home were:
- New Zealand in Mohali, 2003
- Australia in Kolkata, 2001 - a match famously turned by India into one of the greatest comebacks in Test history.
With South Africa already 1-0 up in the two-match series, the pressure on the Indian team has reached a critical point. Unless the tailenders can stage a miraculous and unlikely rescue operation, history is poised to repeat itself in the most unwelcome way for the hosts and their fans.
