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The Indian dressing room appears resigned to the reality of the situation in the second Test against South Africa, with Ravindra Jadeja admitting that the team’s primary objective for Day 5 is simply survival. With India limping to the end of Day 4 at 27 for 2 in pursuit of an insurmountable target of 549 runs, Jadeja stated that a draw would be considered a victory for the hosts.
The Survival Mandate
Speaking after the day’s play, Jadeja outlined the desperate strategy required for the final day in Guwahati:
“Tomorrow is Day 5, so the ball will turn more and bounce more. We need to bat extremely well, taking it session by session,” Jadeja explained. “If we manage to withhold our wicket in the first session, the pressure will shift onto their bowlers. For us, it will be a win-win situation if we can play out the entirety of tomorrow. That would be as good as winning.”
The task is daunting, especially after the early dismissals of both openers, which exposed recurring weaknesses. Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed playing the cut shot against a fast bowler—his sixth dismissal to South Africa’s left-arm quicks in just 109 deliveries. Meanwhile, KL Rahul fell to spinner Simon Harmer, marking the second time in the match he was beaten by slow bowling.
The Irony of the Toss and Conditions
Jadeja alluded to a key factor that dictated the match from the beginning: the toss. He noted the irony that South Africa successfully executed the very strategy India relied upon during its own historic home dominance.
“I think in cricket, it’s all about timing. If we had won the toss on this wicket, we would be in a very different position right now,” Jadeja claimed.
He highlighted the difference in pitch conditions between the teams’ innings:
- Day 1/2: When India bowled, the pitch was a “mirror” with no rough patches, allowing South Africa to bat for 151 overs and score 489 runs.
- Day 3/4: When South Africa bowled, wickets taken by Marco Jansen created rough spots, allowing their spinners to find sudden turn and bounce, making conditions significantly tougher for India.
The veteran acknowledged that India’s decade-long unbeaten run at home (2012–2024) was often secured by winning the toss, scoring big in the first innings, and then exploiting deteriorating conditions later on—a sequence that South Africa perfectly reversed in Guwahati.
India now faces the improbable task of surviving three full sessions against the spin of Harmer and the relentless pace of Jansen to save the Test and avoid a series whitewash.
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IMAGE CREDITS : CRICBUZZ
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