IND vs SA, 2nd Test: 5 Talking Points from India’s Outing against South Africa on Day 4 in Guwahati

Day 4 of the second Test between India and South Africa was once again dominated by the Proteas as the visitors continued to pile on runs, putting India under immense pressure, and edging closer to a series win at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday, November 25.

After South Africa declared their second innings at 260/5 and set a 549-run target to chase, India assumed their second innings batting and posted a total of 27/2 in 15.5 overs, with Sai Sudharsan and the nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav batting on 2 and 4, respectively, and needing 522 runs to win the match and avoid a series defeat.

On that note, let’s take a look at key takeaways from India’s outing on Day 4 of the Guwahati Test.

South Africa openers Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton resumed the visitors’ second-innings batting with 26/0 in 8 overs and steadied the Proteas’ ship. The pair formed a 59-run stand for the opening wicket before Ravindra Jadeja gave Team India a big breakthrough by dismissing Markram for 29. Jadeja gave yet another breakthrough by removing Ryan Rickelton for 35, giving India a hope of seizing control of the match.

Washington Sundar’s wicket of South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma left the visitors reeling at 77/3 and tilted the momentum in India’s favour. However, the Proteas regained control of the match through a 101-run partnership between Tristan Stubbs and Tony de Zorzi, keeping their innings alive and putting India back on the defensive.

India pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, took a back seat, and the spin attack, which consists of Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav, led the charge on Day 4, bowling long spells in testing conditions. The spinners bowled 62.3 overs and picked five wickets, but struggled to consistently break through as South Africa’s middle order, led by Stubbs, Zorzi, and Wiaan Mulder, rotated the strike and frustrated the India bowling attack.

Other hand, Bumrah, Siraj, and Nitish Kumar Reddy combined to bowl 15 overs together while conceding 65 runs, the spinners shouldered the bulk of the workload, showcasing stamina and discipline despite the mounting pressure from South Africa’s resilient batting lineup.

As India were struggling to sustain pressure against South Africa batters, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin pointed out poor body language that reflected a lack of belief and urgency to make a comeback in the second innings. As South Africa went past a 500-run first innings lead, India were under immense pressure of facing a heavy defeat.

Ravichandran Ashwin was hoping for India’s comeback in the second comeback, but their body language other way, showing a lack of fight, self-belief, and urgency as defeat loomed large. After South Africa declared their second innings at 260/5 and set a 549-run target, India looked flat in response as the hosts stared at another Test series whitewash.

After South Africa's batters made Indian bowlers toil hard throughout the day, India resumed their second innings batting, chasing a 549-run target. However, the hosts suffered an early setback with the dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal for 13 at 17/1. Jaiswal was the top scorer for Team India in the second innings, scoring 58 off 97 balls.

After Jaiswal’s dismissal, KL Rahul walked out back to the pavilion after being dismissed for 6 at 21/2. Two early wickets of openers put India on the back foot as they were left scrambling to build a foundation, with a shaky top order failure setting the tone for a steep uphill climb against a patient and disciplined Proteas bowling attack.

India will head into the final day of the series finale with a monumental task of chasing down 549. With 522 runs required across three sessions, the hosts will need a heroic performance, spectacular partnerships, and perhaps a bit of luck to pull off a record-breaking run chase and avoid a series-ending whitewash.

Never in the history of Test cricket has a team successfully chased down a target of 500 or above, making India’s task on Day 5 more than just difficult; it’s historic. The hosts will pull off a miraculous innings, combining resilience, skill, and mental toughness to even come close to chasing down the monumental 549-run target set by South Africa.