Stand-in Indian captain Rishabh Pant has been making his intentions very clear right from the start, setting an attacking field with both slip and short leg in place. His aggressive mindset was visible not only in his field placements but also in his interactions with the youngsters. One such moment came when he was seen sharply scolding Yashasvi Jaiswal for his below-par effort at short leg, reminding everyone that Test cricket still demands discipline even from the most promising youngsters in the team.
The pitch at Guwahati Stadium has behaved completely differently compared to the surface India got at Eden Gardens. This wicket has offered everything a proper red-ball contest requires—turn, bounce, carry, and that old-school feel where both batters and bowlers remain in the game throughout.
These conditions were utilised brilliantly by South Africa, as almost every player in their batting line-up contributed to pushing their total beyond the 400-run mark. Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s struggles under pressure continue to be a talking point. Despite being one of India’s most talented young players, he has often found himself on the receiving end of rebukes from senior players.
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Whether it was Rohit Sharma during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy or Shubman Gill in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Jaiswal has been corrected regularly—and this time it was Pant’s turn. Positioned at short leg, Jaiswal failed to adopt the right stance by stretching his hands wide.
Rishabh Pant, visibly irritated, shouted, “Spread your hands! Spreading legs won’t help you take catches!” The moment quickly made its way across social platforms, highlighting Pant’s demanding leadership style.
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India finally broke the strong South African stand when Ravindra Jadeja removed Kyle Verreynne, but what followed was pure counterattack. Marco Jansen, the tall all-rounder, walked in with a different approach altogether. Showing fearless intent, he launched a flurry of sixes against Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja. Even when Jasprit Bumrah came into the attack, Jansen continued his assault, refusing to be intimidated by the senior pacer.
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Jansen’s quickfire fifty included four massive sixes, and he even broke his bat twice while slogging. At the other end, Senuran Muthusamy was scripting the innings of his life. Debuting in India, he moved steadily towards his maiden Test hundred, surpassing partnerships that carried South Africa past 200 and then beyond 400. Although he survived a controversial LBW call through DRS and a dropped chance by Mohammed Siraj, Muthusamy’s gritty knock kept South Africa firmly in control.
