India vs South Africa Highlights, 1st Test Day 2: Spinners dominate as Ravindra Jadeja takes four-for; South Africa 93/7 at stumps

India vs South Africa Highlights, 1st Test Day 2: India tightened their grip on the first Test at Eden Gardens as Ravindra Jadeja delivered a spell that shredded South Africa’s batting lineup for a second time in the match. By the close of Day 2, the visitors had slumped to 93 for 7 in their second innings, holding a precarious 63-run lead and staring at a defeat that appears increasingly inevitable.

Jadeja was relentless from the moment he came on, exploiting every ounce of assistance from a surface that had grown lively and unpredictable. His figures of 4 for 29 told only part of the story — he consistently beat South Africa’s batters on length, induced poor strokes, and forced them into survival mode. Aiden Markram was the first to fall, unable to cope with the turn early. Wiaan Mulder then succumbed to a rising delivery that he could barely negotiate. Tony de Zorzi attempted a counter but was undone almost immediately, and Tristan Stubbs lasted only a handful of balls before Jadeja dismantled him as well.

Kuldeep Yadav backed him up superbly, striking twice and keeping the pressure firmly on. South Africa’s middle order offered little stability, and even Marco Jansen’s brief resistance ended with a sharp catch from KL Rahul.

Before India’s bowlers took charge again, the hosts themselves were bowled out for 189. The South African attack of Marco Jansen and Simon Harmer exploited the pitch effectively, sharing seven wickets and ensuring the first-innings difference stayed manageable. KL Rahul’s compact 39 was the standout effort for India, with small but valuable contributions from Pant and Jadeja.

Yet the advantage South Africa gained with the ball evaporated quickly once they returned to bat. India’s spinners strangled the scoring, applied pressure every over, and forced mistake after mistake. With only lower-order batters remaining and the pitch continuing to misbehave, the visitors face a steep climb to set a defendable target.

India end Day 2 on the brink of a comprehensive victory, needing only three more wickets to wrap up the match and then go past the target set by the visitors after they potentially bowl them out tomorrow.