A maiden Test century from Senuran Muthusamy, along with a score of 93 from Marco Jansen, has propelled South Africa to a first innings score of 489 on day two of the second Test at the Baraspara Cricket Stadium. India managed to navigate a challenging six-over spell as the day grew close to an end, finishing the day at 9/0, still trailing South Africa by a massive 480 runs.
Muthuswami's batting spell leaves India trailing
South Africa started the day with a score of 247/6, the team adding to the Indian bowlers’ misery for an expanse of nearly two full sessions. The day was dominated particularly by Muthusamy, who exhibited outstanding poise. The all-rounder anchored the innings with a steady 109, hitting 10 fours and two sixes. He first partnered with Kyle Verreynne to rack up an 88-run partnership, and later teamed up with Jansen to create a demoralizing 97-run stand for the eighth wicket.
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While Muthusamy tested the bowlers, Jansen brought the needed excitement to the match. His seven sixes in a counter-attacking innings led to jeopardy for the Indian batsmen; he narrowly missed his own maiden century, while getting bowled by a googly from Kuldeep Yadav for 93.
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Challange Continues for India
For India, the day came with its fair share of hard work. Kuldeep Yadav’s skills helped him stand out among the bowlers, ending with figures of 4/115, while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja each took two wickets. The Indian team struggled to tighten the noose on the African team’s successive scores, leading to a substantial addition of 242 runs to the overnight score.
With the diminishing light, the day led to an early close as openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul endured a tense 20-minute spell against the new ball. India now faces an imminent challenge on day three to remain competitive in the match.
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