South Africa completely dominated Day 2 of the second Test against India at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. The visitors were powered by an outstanding lower-order performance, led by Senuran Muthusamy’s maiden Test century and quick 93 from Marco Jansen. Their efforts carried South Africa to a strong first-innings total of 489, putting India under massive pressure early in their reply.
India ended the day at 9/0 after 6.1 overs, with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (7*) and KL Rahul (2*) surviving a tense final phase under fading light. They still trail by a huge 480 runs, leaving the hosts with a mountain to climb.
South Africa began the day at 247/6, with overnight batters Muthusamy and Kyle Verreynne looking to rebuild the innings. They did exactly that, showing calmness and discipline against India bowlers. The Indian attack tried multiple strategies, but the pair defended solidly, left cleverly, and punished loose balls.
Their seventh-wicket stand grew into a valuable partnership, which drained the energy of the bowlers and denied India the early wickets they desperately needed. At tea break South Africa 316/6 in 111 overs.
India finally broke the 88 runs partnership soon after lunch when Ravindra Jadeja tempted Verreynne (45), out of the crease, and Rishabh Pant completed a sharp stumping. But the breakthrough did not bring the relief India expected.
Muthusamy remained focused and continued batting confidently. He rotated strike well, showed excellent shot selection, and eventually reached his maiden Test century , a memorable 109 off 206 balls. His innings played a crucial role in steadying South Africa lower order.
The momentum of the day changed dramatically with the arrival of Marco Jansen at No. 9. From his first few balls, Jansen adopted an aggressive style, using his height and reach to smash boundaries with ease. He raced to his fourth fifty in no time and formed a powerful partnership of 97 runs with Muthusamy.
Jansen innings of 93 runs off 91 balls was packed with clean hitting, including six fours and seven huge sixes. His fearless batting left India completely unsettled and shifted the advantage heavily toward South Africa.
South Africa lower order added 264 runs for the last four wickets, a phase that severely hurt India. Despite creating chances, the bowlers couldn’t maintain pressure for long periods. Marco Jansen eventually fell for 93, chopping a googly from Kuldeep Yadav onto his stumps, missing out on a maiden century by just seven runs.
Kuldeep was India most successful bowler, finishing with 4/115 after a long day of toil. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja picked up two wickets each, but India will be disappointed with how the tail dominated them.
Chasing a massive first-innings score, India openers Jaiswal and Rahul play safely, avoiding unnecessary risks and focusing on surviving the new-ball spell.
They managed to bat through 6.1 overs without losing a wicket before the umpires stopped play due to bad light. India ended Day 2 at 9/0, still needing a huge effort.
South Africa vs India 2nd test Day 2 Match summary
South Africa 1st innings: 489/10 in 151.1 overs
Top performer: Senuran Muthusamy 109 runs off 206 deliveries , Kuldeep Yadav 4/115 in 29.1 overs
India 1st innings: 9/0 in 6.1 overs at the end of the day 2
Kl Rahul 2* off 14 balls, Yashasvi Jaiswal 7* off 29 balls