Guwahati: The cruel reality of another home Test series loss is setting in. As the late afternoon chill descended on the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Barsapara on Sunday, the Indian openers must have felt the shiver. A wicket at that stage would have worsened an already difficult day for India, but
KL Rahul and
Yashasvi Jaiswal navigated the six-over spell under fading light.
However, the damage may already have been done. South Africa’s first-innings total of 489 on a red-soil pitch that has barely deteriorated over the last two days has significantly reduced India’s chances of forcing an equaliser in the two-Test series. No wonder
Kuldeep Yadav called it a “road” at the end of a gruelling day.
Only twice has India won a Test when the opposition has scored more than 450 in the first innings. The last instance came at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai in 2016 when Karun Nair smashed a triple century, but that was against a demoralised England side which had already lost the series. A miracle would be required for India to turn this one around.
Fans had started trooping in on Sunday morning with the hope of seeing their stars bat soon, but Senuran Muthusamy, a 31-year-old allrounder of Indian origin with ancestral roots in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, was determined to make life difficult for the Indian bowlers. Dogged in defence and cautious in approach, Muthusamy nullified the threat posed by Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and the rest. The heavy morning roller used by South Africa had reduced any early bite, allowing Muthusamy and keeper-batter Kyle Verreynne (45) to focus on survival.
Only 69 runs were scored in the first 29 overs, and while Verreynne’s dismissal stumped off Ravindra Jadeja briefly offered a flicker of hope, it was quickly extinguished. Muthusamy (109) accumulated runs with careful nudges and pushes, while Marco Jansen, walking in at No. 9, unleashed his hitting power. Using his long levers, he launched into Jadeja, hitting multiple huge sixes as Jadeja struggled for traction and Washington Sundar focused on containment.
Kuldeep Yadav (4-115) remained India’s only hope, but Jansen (93 off 91 balls) read him perfectly, sending him over-boundary after over-boundary. Jansen ended with seven sixes — the highest by an overseas batter in India — surpassing Matthew Hayden and Viv Richards.
Meanwhile, Muthusamy nudged his way to his first Test century as the eighth-wicket stand with Jansen put on 97 runs. “I came here in 2019 and when we got thrashed, I never believed I would get a chance to return to India. My mother and aunt have roots here, and it feels really good to get my first Test century,” said Muthusamy, who had scored a crucial 89 against Pakistan last month in Rawalpindi. He also praised Jansen: “You’ve seen in the IPL how good a player he is. It was a pleasure watching him from the other end.”
With lights fading, Jansen looked set for a century until he edged one onto the stumps off Kuldeep, pushing India into an uncomfortable half-hour. Rahul and Jaiswal managed to survive despite a few nervy moments, but Monday could bring a different challenge if the pitch begins to deteriorate.
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