Guwahati: When South Africa batted, Kuldeep Yadav mentioned the pitch felt like a “highway”. In lower than 24 hours, India found bumps and steep curves, hitherto unexpected, on the identical “highway” on the Assam Cricket Affiliation floor in Barsapara. By stumps on Day 3, the hosts have been really out of observe to salvage the two-Check collection towards South Africa. The Indian batting horror present – one of many worst in current reminiscence – was facilitated by 6 ft 8 Marco Jansen, a well-known face on the IPL circuit.

He generated a steep bounce that no Indian pacer did and with the injudiciousness of the top-order, led by skipper Rishabh Pant, the Indian batting collapsed like a pack of playing cards. From 95-1 at one stage with half an hour to go for the primary break, India have been decreased to 122-7 on both aspect of 11 am tea. Washington Sundar (48) and Kuldeep Yadav (19) resisted for 35 overs, however offie Simon Harmer (3-43) obtained the Tamil Nadu allrounder with one which left him. Jansen (6-48) polished off the remainder of the tail and the 288-run lead all however sealed the destiny of the sport. With South Africa reaching 26-0 by the shut of play after selecting to not implement follow-on, all India can hope for is a draw. However that may want a miracle. Jansen, forward of the day’s play, was seen having a chat with Dale Steyn. When Jansen informed him that the Barsapara pitch felt a bit like SuperSport Park in Pretoria, in reference to the little bit of up and down bounce, Steyn informed his protégé to hit the pitch onerous and take a look at the cross-seam supply. The 25-year-old tried to comply with the grasp’s recommendation, despite the fact that the barren first spell was extra conventional attacking-the-stump line which Yashasvi Jaiswal (58) and KL Rahul (22) negotiated. However each fell to spinners, Rahul nicking one off left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj and Jaiswal unable to take care of the bounce that Harmer generated to be caught at level. Quickly after, one other failure by No. 3 Sai Sudharsan opened the floodgates and Jansen barged in. Jansen resorted to the short-ball tactic. Within the final over earlier than tea, Jurel, for causes higher recognized to him, tried to drag him. The mistimed shot was superbly caught by Maharaj operating again. Abruptly the rating learn 102-4. “With not a lot taking place off the seam, I attempted the quick ball towards Jurel and it labored. Then the group determined through the break to make use of this as a tactic,” Jansen defined. Little did the lanky pacer know that Pant, India’s finest batter on paper, would be the first to fall for the short-ball lure instantly after the break. The best way Pant tried to cost Jansen and nicked him gave one the sensation that he didn’t be taught from the primary two days of retaining that the pitch tends to get considerably simpler when the ball will get outdated. Jansen celebrated Pant’s wicket. However when requested later within the day whether or not the Indian captain’s shot choice got here as a pleasing shock for him, the South African pacer defended the left-hander. “Pant and Jurel each are implausible gamers of the quick ball. On one other day, the ball may simply have been crusing over my head into the stands. Batters have to search out methods to attain runs, generally you succeed, generally you don’t,” Jansen mentioned. Nitish Reddy, who used to play Jansen usually on the Sunrisers Hyderabad nets, regarded like a fish out of water towards the paceman. He did not maintain a snorter out and Aiden Markram accomplished a diving catch at third slip. “Reddy has typically hit me 50 rows again into the stands throughout IPL observe,” Jansen mentioned, however that hardly mattered on Monday. After Jansen demolished the Indian middle-order, Washington, batting as soon as once more at No. 8, and Kuldeep confirmed the group’s tremendous seniors that there have been not many devils within the pitch. They have been prepared to purchase time, play the spinners with respect and tire out Jansen, one thing that Pant & Co. couldn’t. However with seven wickets already down, all they may do was delay the inevitable and their long-winding affiliation of three hours yielded 72 runs, which was not sufficient. “We reside on hope,” the ever-optimist Washington mentioned on the finish of day’s play. However he, too, can learn the writing on the wall — one other humiliating whitewash towards a SENA group at dwelling.