Guwahati: South Africa seized control of the second Test in Guwahati after a powerful lower-order fightback lifted them to a formidable 489 in their first innings on Sunday. India, trailing 0–1 in the two-match series, reached 9 for no loss in 6.1 overs before bad light ended play.
Senuran Muthusamy produced a career-defining knock, scoring a gritty 109 off 206 balls—his maiden Test century—just weeks after an unbeaten 89 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. Marco Jansen then dismantled India’s finger spinners with a blistering 93 off 91 deliveries, hammering seven sixes, the most by any visiting batter in India, surpassing Viv Richards and Matthew Hayden.
South Africa’s lower order turned the match on its head, with batters from No. 7 to 11 piling up 243 runs. Muthusamy added 88 runs with Kyle Verreynne and stitched a 97-run stand with Jansen, who repeatedly stepped out to loft Jadeja and Kuldeep over long-on.
India’s bowlers toiled for 151.1 overs, and for the first time all five frontline bowlers sent down 25 or more overs in a single innings. Kuldeep Yadav finished with 4 for 115 but struggled after increasing his pace, reducing drift and grip that had troubled South Africa the previous day.
However, the biggest concern for India was the performance of finger spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. On a benign surface offering neither turn nor bounce, the duo looked ineffective, a reflection of the long-standing reliance on rank turners in Indian conditions. Their white-ball-heavy workloads have also encouraged quicker, defensive bowling rather than flight and variation needed in Tests.
Jasprit Bumrah (2/75) remained India’s most threatening bowler, finding brief reverse swing in the second session, but the pressure he created fizzled out each time the spinners leaked runs. South Africa capitalised fully, especially Jansen, whose clean hitting dented India’s confidence.
With the pitch still ideal for batting and set to deteriorate from day three onward, India’s hopes now rest on their batters matching South Africa’s effort. The last time India overturned a 450-plus first-innings total at home was in 2016, when Karun Nair struck a triple century and Jadeja ran through England with a seven-wicket haul in the second innings. India will hope for a similar turnaround as play enters a decisive phase.
