IND vs SA, 2nd Test: 5 Talking Points from India’s Outing against South Africa on Day 3 in Guwahati

Day 3 of the second Test between India and South Africa was once again dominated by the Proteas, putting the hosts on the back foot at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday, November 24.

After bundling out India for 201, South Africa resumed their batting in the second innings and posted a total of 26/0 in 8 overs, with Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram batting on 13 and 12, respectively, and have a 314-run first innings lead, leaving India with a monumental task to avoid a series defeat and salvage pride in the second Test.

On that note, let’s take a look at key takeaways from India’s outing on Day 3 of the Guwahati Test.

Team India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was the star performer for the hosts in the first innings as he scored a resilient fifty that kept the team afloat. Partnering with KL Rahul at the top, Jaiswal led India’s innings and completed his 13th Test fifty in 85 balls. Jaiswal was quite conservative in his batting approach, rather than aggressively, prioritising wicket preservation over quick scoring.

Jaiswal played a resilient innings of 58 off 97 before his stay at the crease ended at 95/2, dismissed by Simon Harmer. The 23-year-old registered India’s first fifty of the ongoing Test series against South Africa, marking a crucial effort to stabilise the innings and give India some resistance against the Proteas’ bowling attack.

Team India suffered an expected batting collapse, giving an advantage to South Africa to seize control of the match. After Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dismissal at 95/2, the hosts slipped to 102/4 at the end of the first session. After the tea break, India further collapsed to 122/7, leaving the middle and lower order under immense pressure to stabilise the innings.

From 95/2 to 122/7, India lost five wickets in 27 runs, highlighting the severity of the collapse and handing South Africa a huge advantage in the match. India’s batting collapse in the Guwahati Test mirrors their collapse in the Kolkata Test, where they were bundled out for a mere 93 while chasing a 124-run target, suffering a 30-run defeat to South Africa.

After India collapsed to 122/7, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav managed to offer resistance against the South Africa bowling attack. Sundar anchored the hosts’ innings, keeping the team’s scoring ticking, while Kuldeep played as a second fiddle, supporting Sundar with steady batting and rotating the strike to frustrate the South African bowlers. At Lunch, the pair guided Team India to 174/7, alongside a 52-run partnership.

Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav formed a crucial 72-run stand for the eighth wicket before the former’s dismissal at 194/8. Sundar played a gritty innings of 48 off 92 balls, while Kuldeep contributed 19 off 134 balls, providing much-needed resistance and helping India reduce the deficit slightly against a dominant South African attack.

Amid India’s collapse in the Guwahati Test, the hosts’ batting order once again came under heavy scrutiny. The shuffle in the batting order since the Kolkata Test, especially promoting Washington Sundar to No.3 in a 124-run target at Eden Gardens, has raised questions over Team India’s selection strategy and consistency.

Former India captain and head coach, Ravi Shastri, questioned Gautam Gambhir-led team management’s ‘thought process’ behind the change in the batting order and raised questions over Sundar’s promotion to No.3 only to be demoted to No.8 in the ongoing Guwahati Test. Seemingly, the frequent shuffle in the batting order disrupted Team India’s rhythm and contributed to the first-innings collapse, leaving the middle and lower order under immense pressure to stabilise the innings.

Team India is currently staring at a two-match series whitewash at the hands of South Africa as they trail by 288 runs at the end of the first innings, with the visitors posting a commanding total of 489. Indian bowlers toiled hard to bundle out South Africa on Day 2, but the batters’ inability to build partnerships left India staring at a massive deficit, making a comeback in the second innings extremely challenging.

After having lost the Kolkata Test, Team India must now win the Guwahati Test convincingly to avoid a series defeat and restore some pride. With a 314-run lead, South Africa are in a commanding position, putting India under immense pressure to perform in the second innings and keep the series alive.