Marco Jansen’s brilliance with the short ball almost single-handedly set up a rare series win for South Africa in India. By the end of day three, India were bowled out for just 201 in their first innings, giving the world champions a massive first-innings lead of 288 runs.
India’s only notable performers were Yashasvi Jaiswal (58) and Washington Sundar (48). Jansen took 6–48 while Simon Harmer grabbed 3–64, dismantling India’s batting line-up with pace, bounce, and aggressive bouncers.
India collapsed from 95–1 to 122–7, effectively losing all hopes of winning this Test and leveling the series. South Africa already lead the series 1–0 and are now firmly in control.
Marco Jansen used aggressive short-pitched bowling and bouncers to completely destabilize India. Even on a pitch offering some assistance to spinners, the pace and bounce of Jansen proved decisive.
India’s openers started well, reaching 65 without loss, but Jansen’s deadly bouncers quickly removed key wickets, including Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jasprit Bumrah. Jaiswal, who looked set to score, fell to a sharp catch by Jansen at backward point.
Captain Rishabh Pant tried to counterattack post-tea, but Jansen’s consistent pace, bounce, and accuracy prevented any meaningful partnerships from forming. Only Jaiswal and Washington offered resistance, but they too were eventually out.
Innings Summary
| Team | Innings | Runs | Wickets | Key Performances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 1st | 201 | All out | Jaiswal 58, Washington 48 |
| South Africa | 1st | 489 | – | Jansen 6-48 |
| South Africa | 2nd (Day 3 end) | 26/0 | – | Rickelton 13*, Markram 12* |
