India’s second innings in the India vs South Africa second Test in Guwahati reached 174/7 at lunch on Day 3, as Team India trails the Proteas by a massive 315 runs. The hosts were under serious pressure, but Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav stood firm, stitching together a gritty 50-run partnership to keep India alive.
Morning Session: Early Blow for India
India started the third day with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul showing promise. Jaiswal, in particular, played with intent, punishing loose deliveries and reaching his fifty with a confident boundary.However, the momentum shifted quickly. KL Rahul edged Keshav Maharaj and fell at slips, and shortly after, Simon Harmer removed Sai Sudharsan, putting India on the back foot.
By tea, India’s top order had collapsed to 102/4, with Rishabh Pant, taking over captaincy duties, and Ravindra Jadeja walking in to steady the ship.
Afternoon Fightback: Sundar & Kuldeep Resist
After tea, India’s slide continued: Pant was dismissed after attempting a big shot off Marco Jansen, edging behind. But the pair of Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav brought some resistance. They measured their game well, turning defence into a 50-run stand that lasted over 100 minutes. Sundar, in particular, looked composed, defending difficult balls and rotating the strike when needed.
Jansen was brought back into the attack by South Africa, but the duo absorbed pressure and frustrated the bowlers.
The Challenge Ahead
India faces a daunting task to match or overtake South Africa’s first-innings total of 489, which was piled up courtesy of a composed century by Senuran Muthusamy and a counter-attacking knock from Marco Jansen.With Team India now struggling deep into their batting order, any realistic hope of a comeback hinges on further resistance from the lower middle order.
Pant and Jadeja still have a long road ahead if India are to erase a first-innings deficit of this scale. The match remains finely poised, with South Africa holding the advantage, but Sundar and Kuldeep’s fightback offers a sliver of hope.
Also Read: Irfan Pathan Backs Tilak Varma: “His Stock Should Have Gone Up” for SA OD
