Kolkata: South Africa clawed their way back into the contest on the second morning of the opening Test, dismantling India’s batting lineup for 189 and keeping the hosts’ advantage to just 30 runs on a treacherous Eden Gardens surface. The visitors’ fightback was led by an impressive combined effort from Marco Jansen and Simon Harmer, who shared seven wickets between them.
India resumed the day at 37 for 1 but never found fluency on a pitch that continued to behave unpredictably. KL Rahul looked the most assured of the batters, crafting a patient 39, while Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with 27 apiece. However, regular wickets at the other end prevented India from stretching their lead beyond the modest margin.
Off-spinner Harmer proved difficult to handle, returning figures of 4 for 30 as he exploited the rough patches outside off stump. Jansen, mixing sharp bounce with tight lines, finished with 3 for 35 and triggered India’s middle-order wobble.
India were also hampered by the absence of captain Shubman Gill, who could not resume his innings due to a neck spasm after retiring hurt on four the previous evening. His unavailability left the hosts effectively a batter short during a crucial phase of the innings.
Earlier, South Africa had been bowled out for 159 in their first innings, but their disciplined bowling display ensured that India could not capitalise fully on their overnight position.
Brief Scores:
South Africa: 159 all out
India: 189 all out in 62.2 overs (KL Rahul 39; Marco Jansen 3/35, Simon Harmer 4/30)
