Yashasvi Jaiswal walks off after being dismissed as South African players celebrate during the fourth day of the Test cricket match between India and South Africa at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, in Guwahati, on November 24, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
South Africa held all the cards coming into day four of the second and final Test as it sought to press for its first series victory on Indian soil in 25 years.
Temba Bavuma’s men were 314 runs in the green and had two full days to march towards victory.
The Proteas could dictate the pace at which they wanted to score in their second innings, set an improbable target and leave enough overs late in the day to have a crack at the Indian batting line-up.
By stumps on the penultimate day at the ACA Stadium on Tuesday (November 25, 2025), the reigning World Test Champion did just that.
It was the kind of day that a team often dreams of, and South Africa is now eight wickets away from completing a 2-0 sweep.
After batting for two sessions and a bit more, the visitors, riding on Tristan Stubbs’ patient 94 (180b, 9×4, 1×6), declared at 260 for five to set a humongous target of 549.
India, in its second essay, lost openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K.L. Rahul early. It was staring at a second series reversal on home soil in little more than twelve months after ending the day at 27 for two.
Earlier in the morning, all South Africa needed to do was to see off the first hour and ensure the home team couldn’t get a foot inside the door. And that control was provided by openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram with their third 50-plus partnership in the series.
But Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar gave India a glimmer of hope. Rickelton perished to Jadeja, miscuing one to Mohammed Siraj at short extra-cover.
The left-arm spinner made full use of the hard new ball and early moisture to extract grip and turn. One such delivery had Markram beaten all ends up, with the ball drifting in and turning sharply past his outside edge to rattle the off-stump.
Three overs later, Washington removed Bavuma, who gloved an off-break to leg-slip as South Africa slumped to 77 for three.
Though the touring party had a healthy lead at that point, it was the kind of situation where one or two more wickets would have given the opposition a window of opportunity.
However, Tony de Zorzi shifted the pressure back, lofting the off-spinner over long-on. He then employed the sweep effectively against spinners, and came up with a flurry of boundaries to stabilise things.
Stubbs followed a similar strategy and even threw in a few reverse sweeps as the duo added 101 for the fourth wicket.
At a time when there is a clamour to play exciting cricket to keep interest in the format alive, South Africa had no qualms in opting for a more sedate but practical approach.
The team batted for 40 minutes after lunch and brought the innings to a close only when Stubbs fell six short of his ton.
It left the Proteas enough time for a small, short burst from their strike bowlers. Marco Jansen and Simon Harmer delivered the early blows by removing Jaiswal and Rahul respectively.
It bookended a perfect day. Greater joys await on Wednesday (November 26).
Published – November 25, 2025 11:28 am IST
