Guwahati (Assam) [India], November 26 : Indian batter Sai Sudharsan's marathon innings of 14 off 139 balls against South Africa in the ongoing second Test at Guwahati marks the second-slowest Test knock for India, featuring a minimum of 100 balls, only behind Yashpal Sharma's 13 off 157 against Australia in 1981.
Sudharsan's innings in the fourth innings of the second Test produced only a boundary, with a strike rate of 10.07. After surviving the first innings on the final Day of the Test match, Senuran Muthusamy removed Sudharsan.
Muthusamy struck in the first of the second session. He bowled full outside off stump, the ball went straight, and Sudharsan got a thick outside edge, and Aiden Markram at first slip took his eighth catch of the match. Markram has grabbed eight catches in the game so far, the most by a South African fielder in a Test match.
Sudharsan didn't feature in the first Test in Kolkata. In the second Test across both innings, Sudharsan made 29 runs at an average of 14.50 and a strike rate of 16.20.
Coming to the match, Simon Harmer shines as South Africa restricts India to 90/5 at tea while chasing a massive target of 549, on Day 5 in the second Test at Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
The finger spinner stunned Indian batters with his deceptive spin variations as the hosts teetered on the brink of a batting collapse, losing five wickets in their pursuit of 549.
India still needs 459 runs to square off the match. India made 63 runs in the first session and lost three wickets. Harmer grabbed all three wickets in the session.
India started Day 5 on a precarious 27-2, with Kuldeep Yadav (4 off 23) and Sai Sudharsan (2 off 25) holding fort. Sudharsan got a reprieve in the third over when Marco Jansen's no-ball sent the ball careening off the outside edge of his bat, giving India a much-needed lifeline.