Aiden Markram produced a piece of exceptional athleticism that left teammates stunned and social media aghast as India’s innings continued to unravel on the third day of the second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday.
Already 102 for 4 at tea after a chaotic morning session, India suffered another blow in the second session when skipper Rishabh Pant (7) fell to Marc Jansen and missed the review on his way out.
The moment that decisively shifted the momentum came in the 42nd over. Beaten by a rising delivery from Jansen, Nitish Kumar Reddy made a clumsy defense as the ball flew off the shoulder of his bat towards the slip cordon.
Set at second slip, Markram lunged at a full length to the right and completed a one-handed mid-air catch, sparking immediate celebrations from the South Africans. The footage showed that he had only a split second to react when the ball came flying off the bat.
Jansen continued to tighten the screws and later dismissed Ravindra Jadeja (6) in unusual fashion. A short delivery, which Jadeja was trying to avoid, brushed his shoulder, bounced onto the bat and turned to Simon Harmer at slip.
Earlier, Jansen removed Pant and then Nitish Kumar Reddy (10), triggering India’s collapse from a strong 65 not out to 102 for 4 at the interval.
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The South African spinners were already setting the tone. Simon Harmer struck twice to remove Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan while Keshav Maharaj accounted for KL Rahul to break India’s promising opening position.
Jaiswal, who looked well set during his 58 off 97 balls, was lost in a turn when he edged Harmer with Jansen at short third man. Rahul departed soon after for 22 off 63 balls to get to first slip and Dhruv Jurel’s sharp shot only added to India’s woes.
India’s solid start quickly crumbled as South Africa seized control, Markram’s flying catch encapsulating the visitors’ dominance and the hosts’ deepening crisis.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
November 24, 2025
