South Africa vs India, Marco Jansen 6 wickets haul put South Africa in Commanding position on Day 3

South Africa vs India 2nd test of day 3 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, turned into a nightmare for India as their batting collapsed dramatically against South African bowling attack. After putting up a huge first-innings total of 489, South Africa tightened their grip on the match by bowling India out for only 201. Instead of enforcing the follow-on, the visitors decided to bat again and finished the day at 26/0, stretching their overall lead to a massive 314 runs.  South Africa are in a commanding position.

Resumed the day 3  at 9/0  and India started cautiously, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal put together a promising 65-run partnership. Jaiswal looked confident and positive, timing the ball well and rotating the strike. He went on to score an impressive 58 from 97 balls, providing India with the stability they needed at the start.

KL Rahul departed. Keshav Maharaj trapped him on 22 breaking the opening stand.

After Rahul  dismissal, India struggled to build any partnerships. The South African bowlers kept tight lines, and the pressure steadily mounted. Rishabh Pant tried to counterattack but managed only 7 before falling to Marco Jansen’s short ball. His attempt at an aggressive shot ended in a simple catch.

Sai Sudharsan also failed to make an impact, scoring just 15 before being dismissed by Simon Harmer and brilliant caught by Ryan Rickelton. India middle order expected to hold the innings together collapsed one by one. india losse 6 wickets just in 27 runs.

India at 122/7 , Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav showed admirable determination, They resisted the South African attack with patience and focus, putting together a valuable 72-run partnership for the eighth wicket.

Sundar played controlled strokes on his way to 48 runs from 92 balls. Kuldeep supported him brilliantly, digging in for 134 balls for his 19 runs. India managed only 201.

The star of the day was Marco Jansen. After smashed 93 runs in the first innings, he dominated with the ball as well. Using his height and left-arm angle, Jansen generated awkward bounce that troubled every Indian batter.

He bowled with great rhythm, targeting the body and constantly testing the batters’ technique. Jansen picked up 6/48 his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket. His spell destroyed  India batting line-up. He took the key wickets of  Dhruv Jurel,Pant, Jadeja, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, all in quick succession.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer provided strong support at the other end, taking 3/64. He removed the well-set Jaiswal and added more pressure with his consistent bowling. While Keshav Maharaj chipped with 1 wicket remove kl Rahul.

Marco Jansen is become third  visiting player to take 5 wickets haul with 50 plus score since 2000.

Aiden Markram bagged 5 catches in the innings joint 16 other second only South African player alongwith Graeme Smith .

Despite having a massive lead of 288 runs, South African captain Temba Bavuma chose not to enforce the follow-on. With two long days still left and conditions favouring batting early on, Bavuma decided to give his bowlers well-deserved rest and put more runs on the board.

Openers Aiden Markram (12*) and Ryan Rickelton (13*) handled the final eight overs of the day South Africa at 26/0. Though the light faded early, forcing play to stop, the pair ensured no damage was done and increased the lead to 314.

South Africa vs India 2nd test day 3 matche summary

South Africa 1st innings: 489/10 in 151.1 overs

Top performer: Senuran Muthusamy 109 runs 206 balls , kuldeep yadav 4/ 115 in 29.1 overs

India 1st innings: 201/10 in 83.5 overs

Top performer: Yashasvi Jaiswal 58 runs off 97 deliveries, Marco Jansen 6/48 in 19.5 overs

South Africa 2nd innings: 26/0 in 8 overs at the end of day 3

Top performer: Aiden Markram (12*) and Ryan Rickelton (13*)

Looking ahead Day 4 

South Africa  dominance has placed them firmly in command. With a significant lead already on the board , the tourists are poised to set India an enormous fourth-innings target. India, meanwhile, face an uphill task and will require early wickets on day four to maintain any realistic hopes of staying alive in the contest.