In a dramatic turn of events, India’s batting line-up has crumbled under pressure in the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati. What started off as a promising day soon turned into a nightmare for the Indian team, as they lost wickets at regular intervals.
Aiden Markram’s Stunning Catch Sends Nitish Kumar Reddy Packing
One of the standout moments of the morning came when Nitish Kumar Reddy fell victim to a magnificent delivery from South African pacer Marco Jansen. The ball, slightly shorter than usual, forced Reddy to fend it off from the back foot. However, the ball caught the edge of his glove and flew to gully, where Aiden Markram, showing incredible agility and awareness, sprinted from slip and leapt to complete an unbelievable one-handed catch.
This spectacular effort left even Ravindra Jadeja, one of the world’s premier fielders, in utter disbelief at the non-striker’s end.
South Africa in Control, India Facing Uphill Task
Since Reddy’s dismissal, the wickets have continued to tumble. Marco Jansen, whose pace has been troubling the Indian batters throughout the morning, soon got rid of Ravindra Jadeja with another short ball that was caught at slip by none other than Markram again.
With India now trailing by over 350 runs and only three wickets remaining, the Indian team faces a daunting challenge to save the match. South Africa, on the other hand, finds themselves in an excellent position, not only to win the second Test but also to claim a historic series victory. Having already won the first Test in Kolkata by a narrow 30-run margin, Temba Bavuma’s men are firmly in control and could be on the brink of a memorable series win.
As the Test progresses, all eyes will be on India’s lower order to see if they can stage a miraculous fightback, or if South Africa will seal the deal with an emphatic victory.
