Marco Jansen delivered a master class in fast bowling to take 6-48 and propel India to a meagre 201 all out in reply to South Africa’s 489 all out on the third day of the second test at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Monday morning.
The tourists sensibly opted not to enforce the follow-on and batted again adding 26 without loss to their huge first innings lead of 288 runs for an overall lead of 314 runs and, with two days still to play, appear to be heading for a victory which would give them a 2-0 series win following their 30-run victory in the first test at Eden Gardens last week.
It was Jansen’s fourth five-wicket haul and came on the back of his career best 93 with the bat making the first test to be staged in Guwahati an intensely memorable one for the brilliant allrounder.
Resuming on 9-0 the home side lost opener KL Rahul (22) to the first of a record-equalling five slip catches by Aiden Markram when Keshav Maharaj found the outside edge with the score on 65-1 but appeared to have consolidated well with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan taking the score to 95-1.
But an astonishing collapse of 6-27 in 22 overs to slump to 122-7 before Washington Sundar (48) and Kuldeep Yadav added 72 for the eighth wicket with wrist spinner Kuldeep contributing an arduous and obdurate 19 from 134 deliveries to add some respectability to the score.
The collapse was triggered by offspinner Simon Harmer who had Jaiswal caught by Jansen at backward point for a well played 58 from 97 balls with seven fours and a slog-swept six – off Harmer.
South Africa’s dominant morning session was completed when Sai Sudharsan (15) pulled a short ball from Harmer (3-64) to midwicket where Ryan Rickelton juggled but caught a diving catch before Dhruv Jurel made a mess of a pull shot against Jansen and lobbed a catch to Maharaj at mid on to depart for an 11-ball duck.
Jansen grabbed three quick wickets at the start of the afternoon session beginning with India captain and dangerman, Rishabh Pant, who charged down the wicket looking to smash the left arm pace man over cover but could only edge the delivery to ‘keeper Kyle Verreynne to depart for seven having driven his first ball from Simon Harmer for six to get off the mark.
Nitish Kumar Reddy (10) gloved a fierce bouncer towards the vacant gully region only to see Aiden Markram sprint from slip and dive to take an astonishing one-handed catch before Ravindra Jadeja (6) became the second batsman to be bounced out.
The veteran left hander attempted to duck the short ball but it crashed into his shoulder before ricocheting onto his bat and carrying to the slip cordon where Markram completed another, routine catch.
Jansen completed his five-wicket haul when Kuldeep finally, dutifully edged to Markram at slip and added a sixth when Jasprit Bumrah slogged another short ball straight up in the air for Verreynne to take the catch. Markram’s catching master class has been equalled once – by former Proteas captain, Graeme Smith.
Ryan Rickelton (13) and Aiden Markram (12) will resume on the fourth morning.
INDIA: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (captain/wkt), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj
SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj.