India stuck on ‘road’ as Marco Jansen and Senuran Muthusamy go on a rampage | Cricket News

Guwahati: The cruel reality of another home defeat in a Test series is setting in. As the late afternoon chill descended on the Assam Cricket Association stadium in Barsapara on Sunday, India’s openers must have felt the chill. A wicket at this stage would have made an already difficult day worse for India, but KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal cruised through the six-over period in fading light. However, the damage may already be done. South Africa’s first innings total of 489 on a red dirt pitch that has barely deteriorated over the last two days has significantly reduced India’s chances of forcing an equalizer in the two-Test series. No wonder Kuldeep Yadav called it a “road” at the end of a grueling day.

India have won a Test only twice when the opposition scored more than 450 in the first innings. The last instance happened at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai in 2016 when Karun Nair smashed a triple century, but that was against a demoralized England team who had already lost the series. It would take a miracle for India to turn things around. Fans had started flocking on Sunday morning in hopes of seeing their stars bat soon, but Senuran Muthusamia 31-year-old all-rounder of Indian origin with ancestral roots in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, was determined to make life difficult for the Indian bowlers. Dogged in defense and cautious in his approach, Muthusamy negated the threat posed by Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and the others. The heavy morning roll used by South Africa had reduced any early bite, allowing Muthusamy and keeper-batsman Kyle Verreynne (45) to concentrate on survival. Only 69 runs were scored in the first 29 overs, and even though Verreynne’s dismissal stopped Ravindra Jadeja briefly offered a glimmer of hope, it quickly faded. Muthusamy (109) piled up points with careful nudges and thrusts, while Marco Jansen, coming in at No. 9, unleashed his punching power. Using his long levers, he launched into Jadeja, hitting several huge sixes as Jadeja struggled for traction and Washington Sundar focused on containment. Kuldeep Yadav (4-115) remained India’s only hope, but Jansen (93 off 91 balls) read him perfectly, sending him over the boundary. Jansen finished with seven sixes – the highest for a foreign hitter in India – surpassing Matthew Hayden and Viv Richards. Meanwhile, Muthusamy smashed his way to his maiden Test century as the eighth wicket stander with Jansen made 97 runs. “I came here in 2019 and when we were beaten, I never thought I would get a chance to return to India. My mother and aunt have roots here, and it feels really good to get my first Test century,” said Muthusamy, who had scored a crucial 89 against Pakistan last month in Rawalpindi. He also praised Jansen: “You saw in the IPL what a good player he is. It was a pleasure to watch it from the other side. With the lights going out, Jansen looked set for a century until he hit one at the stumps off Kuldeep, pushing India into an uncomfortable half-hour. Rahul and Jaiswal managed to survive despite some nervous moments, but Monday could bring a different challenge if the pitch starts to deteriorate.