India vs South Africa Live Score, 2nd Test Day 4: Miracle needed in Guwahati – Can India defy the odds?

IND vs SA 2nd Test Live Score: Marco Jansen’s 6-for bundles India out for 201; Proteas lead by 314 runs at Stumps on Day 3 in Guwahati

The third day of the second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium began with talk about whether India could score quickly enough to give themselves a chance of staying alive in the series. By the time poor light forced an early finish, the picture had only worsened for the hosts. South Africa rolled India over for 201 and then moved to 26 for no loss in eight overs, stretching their advantage to a commanding 314.

Openers Ryan Rickelton on 13 and Aiden Markram on 12 were unbeaten when play was halted.

The day belonged once again to Marco Jansen. The tall left-arm quick delivered a spell that ripped India apart, finishing with 6 for 48 to go with his 93 from the first innings. It was the fourth five-wicket haul of his Test career and placed him alongside Zaheer Khan and Mitchell Johnson as only the third left-arm pacer to take a five-for in India. On a surface offering little, his relentless variation of length and disciplined line proved too much for India, especially when his short-ball plan blew away the middle order and left them reeling at 122 for 7.

Yashasvi Jaiswal held the innings together early with a fluent 58, but the real resistance came later through a gritty 72-run union between Washington Sundar (48) and Kuldeep Yadav (19), who faced 208 deliveries between them. Their partnership dragged India just past 200 before Harmer ended Sundar’s stay, and Jansen returned with the second new ball to remove Kuldeep and Jasprit Bumrah to wrap up the innings.

South Africa, already 1–0 up in the series and reigning World Test Championship champions, now stand on the brink of their first Test series win in India since 2000. India face the possibility of losing a second home series in two years and require a near-miracle to avoid that outcome.

Earlier in the morning, resuming at 9 for 0, Jaiswal and KL Rahul cautiously worked through the early overs. They found four boundaries between them off Jansen and Wiaan Mulder before South Africa turned to spin. With the ball occasionally gripping, Rahul began stepping out while Jaiswal used the sweep and slog-sweep effectively against Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer. Just before the first drinks break, Rahul’s discomfort against spin caught up with him as he edged Maharaj to first slip for 22.

Sai Sudharsan, back at No. 3, looked confident initially with a couple of cover-driven boundaries, while Jaiswal marched to his 13th Test half-century, becoming the first Indian to reach fifty in this series. But Jaiswal’s innings ended unexpectedly when a dab attempt against Harmer stopped off the surface, taking the edge and offering a sharp chance which short third man pouched with a diving effort. Sudharsan then perished for 15, pulling Harmer straight to mid-wicket, where the fielder juggled before completing the catch.

India slipped deeper near the tea break when Dhruv Jurel miscued an attempted pull and was dismissed for a duck after a diving take at mid-on.

Post tea, hopes rested on Rishabh Pant, but he lasted only seven balls. Charging Jansen for a big hit, he only managed an edge behind and lost a review in the process. Jansen then produced another sharp bouncer to remove Nitish Kumar Reddy for 10, with a superb one-handed diving catch at gully.

Sundar walked in at eight, despite having batted at three in Kolkata, and entered just as Jansen continued his hostile spell. One such delivery climbed steeply at Ravindra Jadeja, brushing the shoulder and then the edge to second slip, sending him back for six.

Sundar eventually counter-attacked with a cut for four off Jansen and a clean six off Harmer. India had a scare when Harmer trapped Kuldeep lbw, but the review showed glove contact before the ball ballooned to short leg.

From there, Kuldeep and Sundar knuckled down, playing with discipline and steadiness, demonstrating that the pitch was far from unplayable. As the ball softened, they looked more settled and batted through to lunch.

The pair resumed in the final session and kept adding valuable runs against Harmer and Markram. South Africa even introduced Senuran Muthusamy, fresh off his century, but he found no success.

Just before the second new ball, Harmer finally got his opening by dipping one on a fuller length, drawing Sundar forward and inducing an edge to first slip. In the very first over with the new ball, Jansen claimed Kuldeep, who had refused a single to protect Bumrah, as a rising ball forced the edge to second slip. Bumrah soon followed, gloving a nasty bouncer to the keeper to complete Jansen’s six-for and round off an exceptional all-round display.

South Africa opted not to enforce the follow-on. Rickelton began by punching Bumrah through cover, and Markram earned a streaky boundary off an outside edge. Markram then drove Mohammed Siraj through extra cover as India tried rotating bowlers, even giving Jadeja and Kuldeep an over each.

By stumps, the visitors were firmly ahead, poised to take the match and secure the series, leaving India staring at another home defeat.

Brief scores:
South Africa 489 and 26/0 in 8 overs (Ryan Rickelton 13*, Aiden Markram 12*) lead India 201 all out in 83.5 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 58, Washington Sundar 48; Marco Jansen 6-48, Simon Harmer 3-64) by 314 runs.