South Africa took a giant step towards a rare Test series triumph in India thanks to a sensational display of pace and aggression from Marco Jansen. On a pitch still good for batting, Jansen produced a spell of short-ball excellence that dismantled India for 201 and handed South Africa an imposing first-innings lead of 288. By stumps, the visitors were 26 for 0 and ahead by a massive 314 — a position strong enough to start dreaming of a historic sweep. The day ended with India staring at the possibility of a second home series defeat within a year, an almost unthinkable scenario after more than a decade of dominance.
India Collapses After Bright Start
India began the morning well, reaching 65 without loss and looking solid on a surface that had not deteriorated significantly. But the calm didn’t last long. A couple of deliveries from Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj gripped or bounced unexpectedly, triggering a collapse that saw India plunge from 95 for 1 to 122 for 7. The early moisture exaggerated spin for only a short period, but India’s top order failed to absorb the moment. By the time the pitch returned to normal, the damage was already severe. Yashasvi Jaiswal (58) and Washington Sundar (48) were the only batters to show real fight, but their efforts were swallowed by the chaos that unfolded around them.
Jansen Rises Above the Pitch
The defining passage of play came when Jansen switched to a sustained short-ball plan. What followed was one of the most hostile spells seen in India in years. Using the old ball, Jansen bowled an extraordinary 8-1-18-4 burst across two sessions, removing Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jasprit Bumrah with spiteful bouncers.
No bowler has taken as many wickets with short balls in a single innings in India since ball-by-ball records began. His barrage was fuelled by skill, control, and clever use of natural height — deliveries that climbed startlingly from just short of a length and forced defensive reactions at chest height.
On Ian Botham’s birthday, Jansen’s all-round performance — a momentum-shifting 93 with the bat, a diving catch, and a six-for — echoed memories of great touring performances from a bygone era.
India’s Middle Order Succumbs to Pressure
Before Jansen’s carnage, South Africa benefitted from India’s nervous, error-prone batting. KL Rahul fell to a classical slower delivery from Maharaj. Harmer then removed Jaiswal with a ball that stopped just enough to force a check-drive.
B Sai Sudharsan, recalled after missing out in Kolkata, looked promising early but gifted his wicket by pulling a Harmer long hop straight to midwicket. India’s Nos. 3 and 4 — neither with more than one Test century — crumbled under pressure. In the bigger picture, India’s unsettled top order continues to haunt them, especially with the series hanging by a thread.
India’s Resistance Arrives Too Late
Once the collapse set in, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav began a long, determined partnership that lasted nearly 35 overs. They survived everything the pitch and bowlers threw at them once conditions stabilised.
Washington looked poised for a deserved half-century before Harmer produced a beautiful offbreak to dismiss him. Kuldeep played the longest innings of his Test career, showing grit and responsibility. But when Jansen returned late in the day, it took only one sharp bouncer to end the innings. With India bowled out, the psychological damage was complete.
South Africa Eyeing Historic Triumph
When South Africa returned to bat, their openers Raynard Rickelton and Aiden Markram navigated Bumrah’s testing opening spell to reach 26 without loss. With a lead already over 300, South Africa now sit in a dominant position, only a couple of sessions away from batting India out of the match and sealing a series result that would rank among their greatest Test achievements.
No visiting team has won a Test series in India this convincingly in more than a decade — and South Africa now have the chance to write themselves into cricketing history.
Marco Jansen delivered one of the most destructive spells ever seen by a visiting fast bowler in India, ripping through the hosts with an aggressive short-ball assault that left India bowled out for 201 and South Africa in total control of the second Test in Guwahati. His 6-for, combined with his game-changing 93 earlier in the match, has pushed South Africa to the threshold of a rare Test series victory on Indian soil. By stumps, the visitors were 26 for 0 and 314 runs ahead, with the match — and possibly the series — drifting rapidly out of India’s reach.
India came into this Test needing victory to avoid losing a home series for the second time in twelve months, something that hadn’t happened for more than a decade. Instead, they were met with a hostile, rhythmic, and relentless Jansen, who used the old ball to extract steep bounce and force mistakes on a pitch that was otherwise docile.
India’s Promising Start Evaporates Into a Sudden Collapse
India began the day in a position of relative safety, reaching 65 without loss and navigating the early movement smartly. The pitch, still firm underfoot, offered little assistance to the seamers and only occasional grip for the spinners. But cricket hinges on moments — and India lost theirs in quick succession. A handful of deliveries from Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer did just enough to cause trouble, and India were not prepared for the shift in pace or turn.
Once Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were dismissed in quick time, the innings spiraled. A side that looked calm and measured suddenly appeared rushed and indecisive. KL Rahul received one of the finest deliveries of the match — an 80 kmph drift-and-dip classic from Maharaj that beat him through the gate. Jaiswal, who had earlier looked the most composed batter on the pitch, fell to a Harmer delivery that stopped just enough to force a checked shot. When Jansen dived low to dismiss him at backward point, the momentum swung permanently.
Jansen’s Short-Ball Plan: Precision, Intimidation and Perfect Execution
The heart of the day was Jansen’s incredible spell of 8-1-18-4, executed with an older ball and a clear strategy: attack India with steep, chest-high bounce that they were unprepared for. No fast bowler has taken more bouncer wickets in a single innings in India in the era of ball-by-ball records, and Jansen achieved it by bowling fuller lengths than traditional bouncers, giving batters less reaction time.
Dhruv Jurel was undone by the awkward height. Ravindra Jadeja tried to sway but failed to escape. Nitish Reddy had to throw his hands up in reflex, the ball ballooning off the glove. Jasprit Bumrah, who tried to fend for survival, was beaten by one that rose harshly and ended the innings.
This was dominance built not on surface assistance, but on tactical brilliance. Jansen exploited his height like few bowlers in world cricket can. Even on a slowing pitch, he generated bounce that surprised batters and forced them into defensive errors. It was the type of spell that wins matches and defines tours.
India’s Middle Order: Talent but Not Temperament
While Jansen’s brilliance deserves applause, India will look back at their batting with concern. Their Nos. 3 and 4 — both talented, both young — entered the Test with just one century and fewer than a thousand Test runs between them. In conditions where game awareness mattered more than shot-making, they lacked calm. Sai Sudharsan, included again after missing the previous Test, played two beautiful cover drives before pulling a short ball into a diving Rickelton’s hands. It was a shot of impatience, not necessity.
Rahul’s wicket came from an unplayable ball, but the dismissals of Gill, Jurel, and Reddy highlighted a deeper issue: India’s middle order is caught between caution and aggression, unable to stay grounded when the match situation tightens.
Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav Offer Resistance, but Too Late
After the collapse, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav stitched together a partnership that lasted nearly 35 overs. It showed that the pitch was not hostile — it merely required discipline and patience. Washington was composed, unfazed by the turn, and calm despite the pace. His 48 was on the verge of becoming only India’s second fifty of the series before Harmer produced a perfect offbreak.
Kuldeep, showing maturity and determination, played the longest Test innings of his career. He shepherded the tail as best he could, even refusing singles at times to protect Bumrah. But when Jansen returned, the innings ended with the same brutality with which it began.
South Africa’s Openers Extend the Lead and the Pressure
With almost no rest given to India’s bowlers, South Africa took the field again and played with clarity. Rickelton and Markram negotiated Bumrah’s sharp opening spell and moved to 26 without loss. The lead swelled past 300, and the psychological strain on India deepened. The visitors now sit in a commanding position — one that not only pushes India out of the Test but threatens to push them out of the series.
With more than two days left, South Africa can bat India out completely, set a massive fourth-innings target, and then unleash their spinners and Jansen under pressure.
Jansen’s All-Round Impact Is Redefining the Series
This tour is quickly becoming Marco Jansen’s defining moment as a Test cricketer. His flowing 93 in the first innings shifted the match in South Africa’s favour; his six-wicket haul cemented it. His catching, aggression, energy, and tactical awareness have made him the most influential player of the series. In Indian conditions — where visiting fast bowlers rarely take centre stage — Jansen has become the main storyline.
His ability to swing momentum in both disciplines puts South Africa in a position few visiting teams have enjoyed in India in the last decade. If they complete the sweep, Jansen’s role in it will go down as one of the great all-round performances in modern Test cricket.
With a lead that continues to grow and India’s batting confidence in tatters, South Africa are on the verge of pulling off something extraordinary. A series win in India is a rare accomplishment. A sweep is nearly impossible. But the tone of this Test — and the dominance with which they have operated — makes the unthinkable feel suddenly within reach.
If the next two days unfold anything like the last three, South Africa might walk away with one of the most impressive Test series victories in their history.
