South Africa tighten grip as India crumble to 174/7 despite Sundar–Kuldeep fightback in second Test
South Africa continued to dominate the second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Monday, reducing India to 174/7 at lunch on Day 3 and extending their commanding advantage in the match. India still trail by 315 runs, with Washington Sundar unbeaten on 33 and Kuldeep Yadav fighting alongside him on 14 not out in a gritty eighth-wicket stand worth 52 runs.
The morning session saw India collapse under relentless short-ball pressure from Marco Jansen, whose fiery spell dismantled the middle order and left the hosts scrambling to avoid the follow-on — still 116 runs away.
India’s collapse after early promise
India resumed at 9/0 and began confidently through Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, who negotiated movement and turn to stitch a 65-run opening stand. Jaiswal’s fluent 58, the first Indian fifty of the series, offered hope before the innings unraveled rapidly.
Rahul fell edging Keshav Maharaj to slip, and from there India slipped into familiar trouble.
Jansen’s short-ball assault rips through middle order
South Africa seized control when:
- Rishabh Pant fell for 7 attempting a wild slog
- Nitish Kumar Reddy was caught brilliantly at gully for 10
- Ravindra Jadeja gloved a rising delivery to slip for 6
Jansen’s steep bounce and aggressive lengths forced errors, leaving India rattled and the Proteas sensing an innings defeat.
Sundar and Kuldeep offer rare resistance
Walking in at No. 8, Sundar counterattacked:
- punching Jansen for four
- launching Simon Harmer for a six
Kuldeep settled with solid defence, overturning an lbw scare after UltraEdge showed glove contact. The pair batted 141 balls together, showcasing application and calmness lacking in earlier partnerships.
Their effort temporarily stalled South Africa’s charge and highlighted that the pitch was not the main issue — shot selection was.
South Africa firmly in command
Earlier, the visitors piled up 489, powered by Senuran Muthusamy’s maiden 109 and Marco Jansen’s 93. India’s bowling struggled to contain the lower order, handing South Africa total control of the Test and series.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri, on commentary, criticised India’s approach, stating the collapse reflected decision-making rather than conditions.
With India needing a miracle to stay alive, the Proteas are favourites to wrap up the contest and seal the series.
Brief Scores
South Africa: 489 in 151.1 overs (Senuran Muthusamy 109; Kuldeep Yadav 4-115)
India: 174/7 in 67 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 58, Washington Sundar 33*; Marco Jansen 4-43, Simon Harmer 2-61)
South Africa lead by 315 runs
Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople.com
India’s batting collapse highlighted technical inconsistency and pressure-induced errors, while South Africa showcased discipline, control, and tactical clarity. With Sundar and Kuldeep resisting, the hosts have bought time — but with such a steep deficit, only an extraordinary turnaround can revive India’s hopes. The Test now appears to be slipping decisively toward South Africa, unless Day 3 brings unlikely heroics.