New Delhi, Nov 23 Former India cricketer Anil Kumble asserts that India needs to bat through the next two days to stand a chance of survival in the second Test at Guwahati. Following South Africa's innings, where Senuran Muthusamy scored his first Test century (109) and Marco Jansen made an impressive 93, the visitors reached 489 before India finished Day 2 at 9/0, trailing by 480 runs.
He emphasised that although the surface will still be "good for batting," the hosts will need to be disciplined and patient.
“I certainly expect a little more wear and tear, and I’m sure the spinners will come into play tomorrow. That said, it will still be a good surface to bat on—runs won’t be hard to come by. For India, this is a must-win Test. They’ve had six tough sessions, and they’ll be thinking about how they can bat through the next two days. If India can control the third and fourth day, they’ll put themselves in a position to think about the second innings,” Kumble told JioStar after the day’s play on Sunday.
Kumble also analysed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s responsibilities heading into Day 3, saying, “Yashasvi will have a role, but not necessarily right at the start. He needs to settle in, get used to the conditions… If he can get through the first 30–45 minutes and negotiate Jansen’s early spell, we’ll see the dominant version of Jaiswal we know. He’ll certainly look to take on the spinners.”
India's bowlers made early progress earlier in the day, but they were unable to break the Muthusamy-Jansen partnership. Bumrah, Siraj, and Jadeja each claimed two wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav finished with four. With seven sixes, Jansen equalled the mark for the joint‑highest tally in a knock for a lower‑order batter in India. With South Africa making a score higher than any first-innings total to lose a Test in India, they have left themselves well-placed to push for a rare series win on Indian soil.
India's response began cautiously, with KL Rahul and Jaiswal resisting a probing spell from Jansen and Wiaan Mulder before play was once again halted early due to bad light.
Reflecting on Marco Jansen’s game-changing 93, Kumble added, “Marco Jansen completely took the game away from India… He clearly trusts his batting; he’s carrying more than four bats. He was outstanding against the spinners and even took on the short ball… But it was a fantastic innings, and his partnership with Muthusamy ensured South Africa didn’t just cross 400—they went close to 500.”
South Africa’s lower order turned the game, and Dale Steyn felt India lacked tactical flexibility with the ball. “They stuck with Plan A for too long and didn’t switch to a Plan B or C… On a flatter wicket like this, they needed something different,” the former Protea said, adding that India’s defensive fields allowed South Africa to settle too easily.
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