India vs South Africa highlights, 2nd Test Day 4: India 27/2 at stumps chasing a towering 549 vs South Africa in Guwahati
IND vs SA Live Score: Day 4 – LUNCH REPORT
South Africa’s batters showed remarkable composure on Day 4 of the second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, stretching their lead to a commanding 508 runs and tightening their grip on the contest against India.
Openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram began the morning confidently, building on their overnight score of 26/0 and moving steadily to 58/1 before Rickelton fell. The visitors progressed smoothly through the early exchanges, with Rickelton benefiting from a few slices of luck on his way to 35 before Jadeja dismissed him as he attempted an expansive stroke.
The surface remained true throughout the first session, offering little for the bowlers. Washington Sundar impressed early on, cleverly adjusting his pace and bowling slower through the air to keep the run flow in check.
While the openers looked comfortable against pace, their overly defensive approach against spin resulted in soft dismissals—a surprising shift given South Africa’s dominance. Jadeja removed both openers, and Sundar added to India’s success by sending back Temba Bavuma with a sharp catch taken at leg slip by Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs steadied the innings heading into tea, finding boundaries with ease and rotating the strike well. Their partnership lifted South Africa’s lead past 400 in the second session, bringing renewed momentum.
De Zorzi was particularly fluent, sweeping with authority and scoring freely on the leg side, unsettling the Indian spinners. Stubbs, meanwhile, played the anchor’s role and settled in gradually. A well-set de Zorzi looked poised for a fifty before Jadeja struck again, trapping him lbw on 49 to claim his third wicket of the day.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was introduced in the 69th over, but his brief spell didn’t trouble the batters, with Wiaan Mulder finding a boundary straightaway.
With four sessions still remaining, South Africa remain firmly in control, having dominated both sessions comprehensively. They piled on 113 runs in 30 overs during the post-lunch session while losing only de Zorzi.
