India are staring at the prospect of another home series sweep after another batting implosion allowed South Africa to push their lead well past 300 on Day 3 of the second Test at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium. Although South Africa had the chance to force a follow-on, they opted to bat again after bowling out India for 201 in 83.5 overs, thanks to a sensational 6-for from left-arm pace all-rounder Marc Jansen.
Jansen produced one of the best all-round performances by a visiting player in India as he followed up his 93 in the first innings with a deadly 6/48. His short-ball attack, combined with relentless accuracy, tore through the Indian middle-order and triggered a collapse that left the hosts reeling to 122/7. Washington Sundar (48 for 92) and Kuldeep Yadav (19 for 134) staged a minor recovery with a fighting 72-run stand, but it was only damage control on a day dominated by the visitors.
The partnership ended when Simon Harmer fooled Sundar by diving into a fuller delivery just before the second new ball. Jansen then returned with the fresh ball to complete his five-wicket haul, removing Kuldeep with a steep bounce before ending the innings by chipping Jasprit Bumrah. His six-wicket burst put him in elite company – only Zaheer Khan and Mitchell Johnson have played five for India as left-arm fast bowlers.
IND vs SA 2nd Test Day 3 Highlights | Scorecard
With a formidable first-innings lead of 288 runs, Temba Bavuma consulted his dressing room before deciding not to force the follow-on and instead asked for a light roll before opening South Africa’s second innings. The challenge underlined the visitors’ superiority on a pitch that offered little to the bowlers – a pitch that ironically looked much friendlier to South Africa’s batting line-up than India’s, further sharpening criticism of repeated ‘home advantage’ mistakes after the defeat in Kolkata.
Earlier in the day, India’s innings broke up in familiar fashion. Jansen removed Ravindra Jadeja in an unusual dismissal after tea. Jadeja tried for the arms but the ball bounced off the edge of his bat to Harmer at slip. A few minutes later, he bounced off Rishabh Pant (7) before dismissing Nitish Kumar Reddy (10) when Aiden Markram pulled a wicket at slip.
From a steady promising 65/0, India stumbled to 102/4 at tea. Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 97), who looked set for a high score, fell when Harmer induced an outside edge that flew to a diving Marc Jansen at short third. KL Rahul (22) was rewarded with a special bounce from Keshav Maharaj while Sai Sudharsan miscued a shot at mid-wicket.
Dhruv Jurel’s 11-ball duck, Pant’s soft dismissal and Reddy’s failure further deepened India’s crisis as the hosts looked to have no answers. They were 174/7 by lunch, still 315 behind.
The lower order grain just delayed the inevitable. Once Jansen and Harmer combined to remove Sundar and Kuldeep, India folded quickly and failed again on a surface described by their own bowlers as “road”.
With South Africa’s lead now over 300 and two full days to go in the Test, the pressure is on for Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to conjure up early wickets. Anything less and India risk slumping to a second consecutive home series – a not too long ago unthinkable scenario now unfolding in Guwahati.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
November 24, 2025
