India Struggle in Guwahati, 174-7 Against South Africa

India’s batting line-up faced serious trouble on day three of the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati. By lunch, India were struggling at 174-7, still trailing the visitors by 315 runs and at risk of following on. The hosts had a minor rescue as Washington Sundar (33) and Kuldeep Yadav (14) put together an unbroken 52-run partnership for the eighth wicket, but the team remained far behind South Africa’s first innings total of 489.

After a heavy loss in the first Test in Kolkata, India began cautiously on a pitch described as a “road” by Kuldeep Yadav due to its lack of assistance for bowlers. The openers tried to build a foundation, with KL Rahul (22) playing compact shots while Yashasvi Jaiswal (58) played more fluently, using sweep shots to counter spin.

The first breakthrough came when Keshav Maharaj trapped Rahul with extra bounce, leading to a catch by Aiden Markram at slip. Soon after, Jaiswal reached his fifty off Simon Harmer’s bowling, giving India hope, but he was dismissed soon after. He misjudged the slow track and spooned a delivery to backward point, where the tall Marco Jansen took a smart catch.

Simon Harmer struck again, dismissing Sai Sudharsan, who pulled a ball to Ryan Rickelton at mid-wicket. South Africa’s pace spearhead Marco Jansen (4-43) then attacked India’s middle order with short deliveries. He accounted for Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Ravindra Jadeja, leaving India reeling at 122-7. Jurel fell for a duck while Reddy was caught in a spectacular one-handed slip catch by Markram.

The Indian team’s top order struggled to adapt to the conditions. The slow Guwahati pitch offered little help for the bowlers but demanded patience and precise shot selection from the batsmen. Sundar and Kuldeep’s partnership provided some relief, but the team’s situation remained critical.

South Africa’s bowling attack dominated proceedings, combining swing, bounce, and accuracy. Jansen’s bouncers and Harmer’s spin troubled the Indian batsmen, forcing mistakes under pressure. The visitors’ plan to attack India’s middle and lower order worked perfectly, keeping the hosts on the back foot throughout the morning session.

India will need a major fightback in the afternoon to avoid a follow-on. The focus will be on building partnerships and countering South Africa’s sharp pace and spin attack. Sundar and Kuldeep must play cautiously to stabilize the innings and reduce the deficit.

This test series is shaping up to be a tough challenge for India, who now have to recover from another batting collapse while facing a strong South African team looking to capitalize on their advantage. The afternoon session could prove decisive in determining whether India can save the game or face a follow-on for the second consecutive match.