Collapse: Why India Batting Failed Against South Africa in the 2nd Test

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Collapse: Why India Batting Failed Against South Africa in the 2nd Test: The Indian cricket team's batting faltered badly on the third day of the India vs South Africa second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. On the same pitch where South Africa posted a mammoth total of 489, India's top and middle order were bundled out for just 168/7. This performance raises many questions in the cricket world.

• South Africa 1st Innings: 489-10
• India 1st Innings: 168/7 (News written)

Let's take a look at the main reasons why the Indian batsmen failed to score runs and led to the team's downfall.

Marco Jansen's deadly 'reverse swing' spell and four-wicket haul

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South African fast bowler Marco Jansen proved to be the biggest destroyer in the Indian innings.

• Jansen's performance: Jansen took 4 wickets (4/41) for just 41 runs in 16.4 overs. He dismissed key batsmen like Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
• Middle Order Destroyed: Jansen completely dismantled India's lower middle order, using his pace, bounce, and possibly reverse swing.

India's Top Order Fails to Score Big Scores

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South Africa's top order scored two big half-centuries (Senuran Muthusamy 109, Marco Jansen 93), but the Indian top order collectively failed.

• Yashasvi Jaiswal's Struggles: Jaiswal (58 runs, 97 balls) was the only batsman who showed some fight, but he too could not convert his big innings into a century.
• Other Batsmen's Contributions: KL Rahul (22), Sai Sudarshan Players like (15) and Rishabh Pant (7) failed to spend long at the crease. A string of short innings together thwarted any chance of a big score.

Spinners also performed effectively

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It wasn't just the fast bowlers; South Africa's spinners also played a key role in restricting runs and taking wickets.

• Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer: Keshav Maharaj took the crucial wicket of KL Rahul, while off-spinner Simon Harmer broke India's back by dismissing established batsmen like Sai Sudarshan and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The Reasons Behind India's Batting Collapse vs South Africa

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The big question is why the Indian batsmen failed when the South African batsmen scored such a high total on the same pitch.

• Patient batting by South Africa: South Africa displayed excellent patience on the first day, which helped them reach 489.
• Lack of 'pressure' in India: The Indian batsmen were under mental pressure facing the target of 489 runs. Batsmen either tried to score quickly or were overly defensive, in both cases they lost their wickets.

Also Read: Sai Sudarshan flops again: Why cant he convert his chances into runs in Tests?