India found moments of success through Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, but South Africa dominated proceedings on Day 4 of the second Test, courtesy of a brilliant 94 by Tristan Stubbs. The youngster’s knock helped the team extend their lead to over 500 runs, eventually declaring at 260/5 to set India a target of 549 runs.
The day began with the visitors resuming at 26/0, with openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram looking assured as they raised the score to 58 before India’s spinners made an impact. Rickelton, who benefited from early luck, was dismissed for 35 while attempting an aggressive shot, giving Jadeja his first breakthrough. The left-arm spinner struck again soon after, removing Markram for 29 with a sharp turn that troubled the batters throughout the morning.
Washington Sundar complemented Jadeja superbly, bowling a disciplined spell with subtle variations in pace that kept South Africa’s scoring in check. His persistence paid off when he dismissed captain Temba Bavuma, who flicked a simple catch to leg slip. Despite a few missed run-out opportunities, India looked energetic in the field, keeping the visitors’ progress steady rather than free-flowing.
At 107/3 by tea, the session appeared evenly balanced as Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs steadied the innings, combining caution with calculated aggression. Both batters found regular boundaries and shifted momentum back in South Africa’s favour heading into the second session.
De Zorzi and Stubbs batted with purpose, sweeping, cutting, and rotating strike as if playing on a surface entirely different from the one troubling India. Every boundary struck through the gaps emphasized that South Africa were not just surviving—they were progressing. Zorzi’s sweeps scythed through the leg side with authority, while Stubbs absorbed pressure before unleashing strokes that drained India’s early energy.
After tea, Jadeja trapped de Zorzi lbw just short of a half-century. Yet even that wicket felt more like a pause than a shift. Stubbs marched on to his fifty, unhurried and unbothered, as Wiaan Mulder joined him to push the lead past 500 with quiet confidence.
With four sessions remaining in the match, the Proteas showed no inclination to declare early, adding 113 runs in the second session for the loss of just one wicket. India even turned to part-timer Yashasvi Jaiswal for an over, but South Africa’s control remained unchallenged.
At lunch, South Africa had moved to 220/4 in 70 overs, firmly on top as India faced a massive challenge.
As Stubbs approached a century, the Proteas continued batting despite expectations of an early declaration. The young player entered the nervous nineties, and South Africa watched to see if he could reach 100 before the declaration. However, as soon as he was dismissed, Bavuma signalled the batters to return, closing their innings at 260/5 and setting the hosts a huge target of 549 runs.
While a win looks unlikely for India, the team will aim to bat through the remainder of Day 4 and on Wednesday, the final day, to secure a draw. South Africa, meanwhile, will look to bowl out the hosts again to seal a historic victory and claim crucial World Test Championship points.
Brief Scores: South Africa 489 and 260/5d in 78.3 overs (Tristan Stubbs 94, Tony de Zorzi 49; Ravindra Jadeja 4/62) lead India 201 all out in 83.5 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 58, Washington Sundar 48; Marco Jansen 6/48, Simon Harmer 3/64) by 548 runs.
–IANS