India's Batting Woes Exposed in Guwahati Test
India's hopes of leveling the Test series against South Africa suffered a massive blow on the third day of the second Test in Guwahati as their batting lineup completely unraveled. The home team now faces the grim prospect of a series defeat after being bowled out for 201, with poor shot selection being identified as the primary culprit behind their dramatic collapse.
Batting Collapse Turns Match in South Africa's Favor
What began as a promising day quickly turned into a nightmare for the Indian team. Starting from a position of relative stability at 95 for 1, the innings disintegrated to 122 for 7 in a stunning passage of play. The collapse saw three key batsmen - Sai Sudharsan (15), Dhruv Jurel (0), and Rishabh Pant (7) - depart within the space of just 13 deliveries.
The manner of dismissals particularly frustrated cricket analysts, with Sudharsan appearing careless in his approach, Jurel showing indiscretion in shot selection, and Pant being outright irresponsible given the match situation. This collective failure occurred on the same pitch that Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav had described as being like a "road" just a day earlier.
Jensen's All-Round Dominance
South African pace bowler Marco Jansen emerged as the chief destroyer, using his 6 feet 8 inches frame to devastating effect. The lanky seamer consistently banged the ball in short and was rewarded with impressive figures of 6 for 48. His performance with the ball came just a day after he had smashed 93 crucial runs with the bat, making this a match he will undoubtedly remember for years to come.
India's early resistance had come from opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 58 runs, and KL Rahul, who contributed 22 runs. However, both fell to the only two deliveries from spinners that lifted awkwardly from the surface, triggering the dramatic collapse that followed.
The only period of genuine resistance came from the partnership between Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav. Sundar made 48 runs off 92 balls, while Kuldeep displayed tremendous determination by hanging in for 19 runs off 134 deliveries. Their 62-run partnership spanning almost 35 overs represented India's sole period of controlled batting in the entire innings.
South Africa's Commanding Position
By stumps on day three, South Africa had reached 26 without loss in their second innings, extending their overall lead to a formidable 314 runs. The Proteas opted not to enforce the follow-on despite their massive 288-run first innings lead, choosing instead to bat again and set India a challenging target.
The tourists now have the opportunity to set India a target in excess of 450 runs, with approximately 120 overs available for their bowlers to dismiss the Indian lineup. For South Africa, this represents a golden chance to secure their first Test series victory in India since Hansie Cronje's team achieved the feat back in 2000.
With the match situation looking increasingly dire for the home team, Indian supporters are left hoping for intervention from time, weather, or sheer luck to salvage anything from the contest. Even managing a draw at this stage would feel like a remarkable escape for the Indian team.
The comprehensive nature of South Africa's dominance means that a 2-0 series scoreline is now firmly within their grasp, while India faces serious questions about their batting approach and shot selection on pitches that demand conventional, disciplined cricket.
