Muthusamy's Patient Century Steals the Show
South Africa built a formidable first-innings total of 489 runs on day two of the second Test match being played at Guwahati's stadium. The standout performance came from Senuran Muthusamy, who displayed remarkable patience to score his maiden Test century while batting at the crucial number seven position.
Pant's Strategic Captaincy Under Scanner
India's stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant was actively involved throughout the day, constantly guiding his bowling unit with clear instructions and motivational support. In one particularly interesting moment during the 124th over of South Africa's innings, Pant was heard telling spinner Washington Sundar in Hindi "marne de usko" (let him hit), encouraging him to tempt the batter into playing a big shot.
The strategy immediately paid dividends when Sundar floated a delivery outside off-stump and Muthusamy took the bait, launching it over long-on for a massive six. This incident highlighted Pant's proactive approach to captaincy, where he alternated between giving direct commands, boosting his teammates' confidence, and asking them to remain calm while he managed the field placements.
Muthusamy's Landmark Innings
Senuran Muthusamy, who missed the first Test, crafted his innings meticulously, facing 206 deliveries for his 109 runs that included 10 boundaries and 2 sixes. His innings followed a clear pattern - cautious defense during the morning session with occasional boundary hits, followed by more aggressive strokeplay after tea break, taking inspiration from his partner Marco Jansen's free-scoring approach.
The left-handed batter eventually fell to Mohammed Siraj in the 139th over, but not before achieving a significant milestone. Muthusamy became only the third South African batter in history to score a Test century batting at number seven or lower against India on Indian soil.
Jansen's Support Role and Partnership
At the other end, Marco Jansen played the perfect supporting role, scoring freely to register his fourth Test fifty. The duo put together a 97-run partnership that proved crucial in pushing South Africa toward their substantial total. This collaborative effort between Muthusamy reaching his first Test hundred and Jansen scoring his fifty has significantly strengthened South Africa's position in their quest for a historic series victory.
The visiting team is now eyeing their first Test series win in India in 25 years, and this strong batting performance on day two has certainly put them in a commanding position. The total of 489 runs gives South Africa's bowling attack plenty of runs to defend as they look to level or win the series against the hosts.
