On Day 2 of the Guwahati Test, stand-in captain Rishabh Pant berated Kuldeep Yadav after two slow over-rate warnings, while Muthusamy and Jansen built a strong partnership, taking South Africa past 400 and putting India under pressure.
Team India stand-in captain Rishabh Pant received two slow over-rate warnings from the on-field umpires on Day 2 of the ongoing second and final Test of the series against South Africa at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday, November 23.
After dominating Day 1, restricting South Africa to 247/6 at stumps, India failed to contain the flow of runs, as South Africa went past the 400-run mark in the first innings on Day 2 of the Guwahati Test. Senuran Muthusamy and Kyle Verreynne frustrated the Indian bowlers as the pair built an 88-run partnership for the seventh wicket before Ravindra Jadeja finally broke the partnership by stumping out Verreynne.
Even though Jadeja managed to get Verreynne, India’s struggle was far from over as the hosts could take only one wicket across two sessions, leaving South Africa firmly in control of the match through a partnership between Muthusamy and Marco Jansen.
Rishabh Pant Doubles Down on His Players
As India struggles to wrap up South Africa’s innings after being in the driver’s seat at Day 1 stumps, stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant was furious at his teammates after he received two slow-over warnings, angrily berating Kuldeep Yadav for delaying to bowl.
In a video posted by Star Sports on its X handle (formerly Twitter), Rishabh Pant caught on stump mic saying, “30 second ka timer hai. Ghar mein khel rahe ho kya? Ek ball daal jaldi. Kuldeep, do-do baar warning le li.”
(There’s a 30-second timer. Are you playing at home or what? Bowl one ball quickly. Kuldeep, you’ve already received two warnings.)
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Earlier this year, the International Cricket Council implemented the stop clock rule in Test cricket, which means that fielding sides now have just 60 seconds to start their next over. The bowling side will receive two warnings from the on-field umpires if the over does not start in the allotted time. On the third offence, the batting side is awarded a five-run penalty, ensuring stricter adherence to over-rate regulations in Test matches.
Rishabh Pant’s frustration was clearly stemmed from the team’s inability to maintain the required over rate despite having a strong position in the match.
Muthuswamy and Jansen Frustrate the Indian Bowlers
After the fall of Kyle Verreynne’s wicket, Senuran Muthusamy was joined by Marco Jansen at the crease to carry on South Africa’s first innings batting. The pair gave Indian bowlers another tough time as they rotated the strike well and played cautiously, preventing the hosts’ bowling attack from further breakthroughs.
While Senuran Muthusamy was conservative in his batting approach, Marco Jansen turned into attacking mode, accelerating the Proteas innings and helping the team go past the 400-run mark. Muthuswamy was anchoring the innings brilliantly as he completed his maiden international century in 192 balls, with Jansen providing solid support.
Marco Jansen smashed his fourth Test fifty in 53 balls, putting the pressure back on India. Muthuswamy and Jansen continued to trouble the hosts’ bowling attack with smart strike rotation and aggressive shots, including Jansen’s stunning no‑look six off Jadeja.
At the end of the second session, South Africa posted a total of 428/7 in 137 overs, with Muthuswamy and Jansen batting on 107 and 51.