India looked in control at the end of the second day of the first Test of the two-match series at Eden Gardens. South Africa were 93/7 in their second innings at stumps. India had started the day 122 runs behind in the first innings with nine wickets in hand, but within six intense hours, the match flipped completely.

Simon Harmer (4/30 in 15.2 overs) and Marco Jansen (3/35 in 15 overs) wreaked havoc on the Indian batters, and India were eventually bowled out for 189. KL Rahul was the highest scorer for India.

However, the fall of wickets did not stop there. South Africa slipped to 93/7 in their second innings. Ravindra Jadeja (4/29 in 13 overs) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/12 in 5 overs) destroyed South Africa’s top order. Temba Bavuma was unbeaten on 29 runs, while Corbin Bosch remained not out on 1 run at the end of day two.

Pitch Turns Unpredictable

No one expected the surface to behave this way. It looked like a typical Indian pitch that usually stays good for batting for two days. However, by the second half of day one, the top layer began peeling off. On day two, batting became extremely difficult.

Even fast bowlers enjoyed unusual assistance and claimed 11 of the 26 wickets. The conditions seemed at odds with India’s stated desire for more balanced pitches after their series defeat to New Zealand. Commentator Dinesh Karthik suggested on air that the pitch had not been watered the day before the Test, which he called unusual.

Jadeja Leads on a Tough Day

Ravindra Jadeja stood out once again. He made a steady 27 before Simon Harmer trapped him lbw using Jadeja’s old-fashioned method of hiding the bat behind the pad.

Harmer showed that his improved reputation was justified. He delivered a superb spell of 4 for 30, helping keep India’s lead limited to 30 after South Africa’s first-innings total of 159. But Jadeja struck back with an exceptional unbroken spell of 13 overs, taking 4 for 29 and tightening India’s grip.

India’s Early Advantage Slips

The day began calmly, and even after a wicketless first hour, India seemed ready for a solid first-innings lead. KL Rahul and Washington Sundar added the joint-highest partnership of the match.

When introduced in the second hour, Harmer struck instantly. He beat Sundar’s edge with one ball and found it with the next.
India were still safe at 75 for 2, trailing by 84. But Gill, who appeared uncomfortable during warm-ups, suffered a neck spasm right after hitting Harmer for four.

Wickets Fall Despite Good Starts

Rahul, Pant, and Jadeja—scoring 39, 27, and 27—looked confident individually, yet every over carried danger. Rahul chased Keshav Maharaj’s sharp turn, Jadeja fell to natural variation, and Pant misread extra bounce from Corbin Bosch.

Maharaj was expensive, but Harmer and Marco Jansen applied pressure. Jansen’s 3 for 35 in Rabada’s absence kept South Africa alive. India’s last four wickets fell for just 36 runs.

India’s Bowlers Take Charge Again

India bowled again before tea on day two, and opening with spin made sense on such a surface. Jasprit Bumrah, fresh from a five-for, began the attack from the end offering uneven bounce. Soon both ends operated with spin, squeezing South Africa.

Kuldeep Yadav removed Ryan Rickelton with the last ball before tea—a delivery that went straight and caught the batter stuck on the back foot.

Jadeja Unravels South Africa

With Gill off the field, Pant led India and brought Jadeja on immediately. On pitches like this, the most dangerous balls are often the ones that appear harmless.

Aiden Markram checked a sweep shot as Jadeja’s ball stopped on him. Tony de Zorzi hit a reverse sweep first ball but the next one leapt up for an easy bat-pad catch.

Wiaan Mulder resisted for a while, but Jadeja eventually found the edge with a big-turning ball. Tristan Stubbs faced subtle changes in angle before Jadeja went wide of the crease and spun one past the edge to hit off stump.

Lower Order Struggles

Kyle Verreynne was criticised for trying a slog-sweep against Axar Patel, but there were few scoring options with in-out fields. Jansen attacked successfully for a short time and made 13, but even he edged a sweep off Kuldeep.

Fielding Stands Out

Both teams fielded brilliantly. Rahul ended the day with a sharp low catch off a deflection from Pant. Temba Bavuma fought hard, mixing solid defence with occasional sweeps. He remained unbeaten on 29 off 78 balls. However, South Africa still needed much more from him to stay in the contest.

Brief Scorecard