IND vs SA 2nd Test Day 4 Highlights: South Africa Tightens Grip, India Need 522 Runs. With a dominant all-around performance on Day 4, South Africa solidified their grasp on the second Test in Guwahati. India needs near-impossible results heading into the last day of play. Proteas set an imposing target of 549 runs and then took another two wickets late in the last session for a total of 27/2 at the end of the fourth day.
Stubbs Leads Proteas Charge
After an excellent first-innings lead, South Africa struck back with continued pressure and smart batting. South Africa’s star player, Tristan Stubbs, narrowly missed a century with an incredible 94-run innings. Tony de Zorzi was also a valuable contributor, with 49 runs, as he kept the pressure on the Indian bowlers. The only ray of light for India was Ravindra Jadeja, who took four wickets as he exploited the old ball, but he was unable to stop the momentum built by South Africa’s batsmen.
When South Africa eventually declared their innings at 260/5, they believed the deteriorating pitch would help their bowlers more than they needed runs, and their decision was validated immediately. India began their chase with both openers dismissed cheaply, with Yashasvi Jaiswal falling first, followed by KL Rahul, leaving India to struggle at 20/2 in the early going and only reaching 27/2 at stumps of Day 4.
The challenge for India is steep, as they require 522 runs with just 8 wickets remaining. Only history tells us that a team has never chased down that many runs in India and that the batters on both sides have struggled with the inconsistent bounce of the ball.
Also Read: IND vs SA 2nd Test, Day 3 Highlights: Proteas Lead By 314 Runs in Guwahati
For South Africa, however, this is a chance to secure an unprecedented overseas series victory. Both the pace and spin bowlers are eager to complete the job on the 5th day.
India will have to bat well beyond their normal capabilities just to achieve a draw, while South Africa must take eight wickets to finish off the match and win the series.