India’s Test cricketers face the biggest Test of their careers as they look to avoid a second straight home series loss. This after suffering a 3-0 rout against New Zealand in their last such outing last year. Now, they find themselves in a 1-0 hole in the two-match series against South Africa. That second Test in Guwahati, it seems, has placed the Indian eleven on the brink of an abyss. On the second day, South Africa just crushed it with this remarkable 489 runs.
The narrative leading into this semifinal is especially ominous for India. The team previously enjoyed an impressive streak of 12 years without losing a Test series at home until their recent setback against New Zealand. This history amplifies the pressure on the players as they look to reverse their fortunes against a formidable South African side.
India’s innings were on the back foot from the moment they started. Poor light prematurely ended the day’s play after just 6.1 overs in reply to South Africa’s mammoth total. By then, India had scored just 9 runs in response and stared at a mammoth 480-run deficit to South Africa. Beyond the disappointment, the strike speaks to the very real uphill battle that the Indian team continues to fight as they attempt to score in heavy and competitive traffic.
South Africa’s batting effort was anchored by a steady innings from Senuran Muthusamy and a counterattacking knock from Marco Jansen. Muthusamy marked his maiden Test century with an unbeaten 109 off 206 balls. On the other hand, Jansen was brilliant, setting a career high in 93 runs contributed. South Africa’s formidable batting display has them stacked in the driver’s seat. After conceding 271 in the first innings of a Test on home soil, no Indian team has ever gone on to lose the match.
Though it was a difficult day, India still enjoyed some success with the ball. Kuldeep Yadav’s marvellous performance, claiming 4 for 115, stood out on his side’s return to the World Cup 2023. His indefatigable efforts shone a bright ray of hope for the Indian contingent. These tough lessons learned, now the team needs to come together and come up with a plan to respond to South Africa’s early lead.
With the second test well and truly underway, the Indian team is at an important crossroads. Most importantly, they need to soar above their lame duck session hurdles. By doing so, they will hope to prevent a third consecutive home loss and begin to earn back the trust of their home supporters.
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