Guwahati, Nov 24: Senuran Muthusamy and Marco Jansen made Indian finger spinners’ look ordinary in good batting conditions with invaluable lower-order contributions as South Africa seized control of the second Test by posting a massive 489 in their first innings here on Sunday.Trailing 0-1 in the two-match series, India were nine for no loss in 6.1 overs when stumps were drawn in fading light.
Muthusamy, who had scored a match-winning 89 not out against Pakistan in Rawalpindi a month ago, hit his maiden Test hundred, a gutsy 109 off 206 balls while Jansen sent the spinners on a proverbial leather hunt with smashing 91-ball-93.
The last four Proteas batters from Nos 7 to 11 added a whopping 243 runs. Muthusamy and Verreynne adding 88 for the seventh wicket while the centurion added another 97 runs with number nine Jansen.
During his belligerent effort, Jansen smashed seven sixes, the highest by an overseas batter on Indian soil, surpassing Viv Richards and Matthew Hayden, both of whom had hit half a dozen maximums.
The South African innings lasted for 151.1 overs and the plight of the Indian bowlers could be gauged by the fact that this was also the first time that all five specialist bowlers had to bowl 25 or more overs in a single innings.
Rishabh Pant’s captaincy didn’t have a plan B and it also didn’t help matters that the track at the Barsapara Stadium didn’t show any signs of wear and tear.
While Kuldeep Yadav (4/115 in 29.1 overs) deviated from his plans from the opening day and bowled a lot faster, credit should be given to Muthusamy, Kyle Verreynne (45 off 122 balls) and Jansen for reading him well from the hand.