In the second Test against South Africa, India slipped from 95/2 to 122/7 after a strong start. Despite Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 58, the middle-order collapse leaves India facing possible series defeat, sparking widespread frustration among fans.
Team India’s another defeat in the ongoing Test series against South Africa appeared to be looming large as the hosts suffered a batting collapse in the first innings of the second match at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday, November 24.
After the Indian bowlers toiled hard to bundle out South Africa for 489 on Day 2, India assumed their first innings batting. The hosts posted a total of 9/0, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul unbeaten on 7 and 2, respectively, and trailing by 480 runs at stumps. The Indian batters had a monumental task of steadying their innings and reducing the huge first-innings deficit.
After having lost the first Test at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata by 30 runs, a rare home defeat for India, the pressure looms large in the ongoing Guwahati Test, as the hosts have no other option but to put up a strong performance to avoid series defeat or a whitewash at the hands of the Proteas.
Batting Collapse Put India on the Back Foot
After Indian bowlers struggled to contain South Africa batters, especially Senuran Muthusamy, Kyle Verreynne, and Marco Jansen, batters were the hope to pull the team back into the contest. Resuming the hosts’ innings at 9/0, openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul steadied the ship and took India past the 50-run mark.
The opening duo formed a 65-run stand before KL Rahul’s dismissal for 22 by Keshav Maharaj. Thereafter, Jaiswal was joined by Sai Sudharsan at the crease to carry on India’s innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal anchored the hosts’ first innings batting and completed his valiant fifty in 85 balls. The southpaw looked in good touch before his stay at the crease ended by Simon Harmer, dismissed for 58 off 97 balls.
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After Jasiwal’s dismissal, India quickly lost further wickets, slipping to 102/4 at the end of the first session. Sai Sudharsan (15) and Dhruv Jurel (0) were dismissed cheaply. After the Tea break, the hosts suffered another batting collapse as they were reduced to 122/7, with the dismissals of Rishabh Pant (7), Nitish Kumar Reddy (7), and Ravindra Jadeja (6), leaving the the pressure firmly back on the lower order to prevent an innings defeat.
From 95/2 to 122/7. India lost five wickets in just a span of 27 runs, turning a promising start into a disastrous slide that left the match slipping rapidly out of India’s grasp.
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India’s collapse in the top and middle order gave an edge to South Africa, who are aiming for the first Test series on Indian soil in 25 years, putting the visitors firmly in control as the hosts struggled to find any resistance beyond the opening stand.
Fans Frustrated over Batting Collapse
India’s batting collapse in the first innings of the Guwahati Test raised concerns over the team’s temperament and application under pressure. In the first Test at Eden Gardens, India folded for just 93 while chasing a modest 124, raising fresh alarm over their technique and mindset in home conditions.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), fans and cricket enthusiasts were quite vocal in expressing their disappointment, slamming the lack of fight shown by the batting unit while questioning head coach Gautam Gambhir for his team selection and tactical decisions during the series.
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Meanwhile, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav have built a steady partnership to take India past the 150-run mark, but still need to hang around and reduce the deficit. The South Africa attack showed no mercy and quickly crumbled India’s resistance.