Historic Win for South Africa as India Falls Short in 2nd Test

The India vs South Africa 2nd Test in Guwahati ended in a stunning victory for the visitors. South Africa crushed India by 408 runs, completing a 2-0 series sweep. The match highlighted South Africa’s dominance in every department, while India struggled under pressure. From the very first session, the momentum clearly favored South Africa.

South Africa 1st Innings – 489 (10 wkts, 151.1 ov)

Batting first, South Africa built a massive total of 489 runs. Temba Bavuma anchored the innings with a composed knock, while Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram added crucial runs with aggressive intent. Moreover, Simon Harmer contributed valuable runs lower down the order. Meanwhile, India’s bowlers tried to break partnerships, but they could not maintain a consistent line and length. Consequently, South Africa’s batsmen rotated the strike effectively and punished every loose delivery, giving their team a commanding first-innings lead.

Bowling Figures:

• Jasprit Bumrah – 32.0 ov, 75 runs, 2 wkts
• Mohammed Siraj – 30 ov, 106 runs, 2 wkts
• Kuldeep Yadav – 29.1 ov, 115 runs, 4 wkts
• Ravindra Jadeja – 28 ov, 94 runs, 2 wkts

India 1st Innings – 201 (10 wkts, 83.5 ov)

In response, India collapsed under pressure. Early wickets fell quickly as Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul failed to provide a solid start. Although Ravindra Jadeja resisted with a gritty knock, the rest of the batting lineup struggled. As a result, India managed only 201 runs, falling 288 runs behind. This huge deficit put enormous pressure on India and set the stage for a challenging second innings.

Bowling Figures

• Marco Jansen – 19.5 ov, 48 runs, 6 wkts
• Keshav Maharaj – 15 ov, 39 runs, 1 wkt
• Simon Harmer – 27 ov, 64 runs, 3 wkts

South Africa 2nd Innings – 260 (5 wkts, 78.3 ov)

In their second innings, South Africa scored 260/5 before declaring. Bavuma once again played a responsible innings, while Van der Dussen and Markram accelerated the scoring. By saying at the right time, South Africa set an imposing target of 549 runs for India. Furthermore, the bowlers and fielders remained alert, ready to capitalize on India’s mistakes. This declaration effectively put India on the back foot.

Bowling Figures

• Ravindra Jadeja – 28.3 ov, 62 runs, 4 wkts
• Washington Sundar – 22 ov, 67 runs, 1 wkts

India 2nd Innings – 140 (10 wkts, 63.5 ov)

Chasing 549, India struggled from the outset. Early wickets fell quickly as Simon Harmer and Marco Jansen exploited every weakness. Although Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant tried to build partnerships, they could not prevent the collapse. Eventually, India was bowled out for just 140 runs. Consequently, South Africa secured a massive 408-run victory. Harmer’s brilliant spell and Jansen’s consistent bowling played a pivotal role in the win.

Bowling Figures

• Marco Jansen – 15 ov, 23 runs, 1 wkt
• Simon Harmer – 23 ov, 37 runs, 6wkts
• Keshav Maharaj – 12.5 ov, 37 runs, 2 wkts
• Senuran Muthusamy – 7 ov, 21 runs, 1 wkt

Key Takeaways

Overall, South Africa dominated with skill, strategy, and composure. They executed their plans perfectly, capitalizing on India’s mistakes in every innings. In contrast, India struggled with consistency and failed to handle pressure at crucial moments. Moving forward, India must focus on building partnerships, improving shot selection, and maintaining discipline under pressure.

In conclusion, the India vs South Africa 2nd Test will be remembered for South Africa’s flawless performance and India’s shortcomings. Their strategic planning, disciplined bowling, and clinical execution led to a historic 408-run win, leaving a lasting impression on this Test series.