Guwahati, India - Day 2 of the second Test between India and South Africa at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati promises to be a crucial one, as the Indian bowlers aim to restrict the visitors to under 300 runs. South Africa ended Day 1 at 247/6 after 81.5 overs, with Senuran Muthusamy (25) and Kyle Verreynne (1) at the crease.

Day 1 Recap: A Battle of Wits and Resilience

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat, but the Indian seamers initially made inroads with the new ball. However, the pitch soon flattened out, allowing the South African batsmen to build partnerships. Aiden Markram (38) and Ryan Rickelton (35) provided a solid opening stand, putting on 82 runs before Jasprit Bumrah struck, dismissing Markram. Kuldeep Yadav then removed Rickelton shortly after.

The Proteas rebuilt through Temba Bavuma (41) and Tristan Stubbs, who added 84 runs for the third wicket. However, both fell after getting set, with Bavuma giving his wicket away and Stubbs falling one short of his half-century. India's spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, then took control, claiming four wickets together to bring India back into the game. Towards the end of the day, Mohammed Siraj dismissed Tony de Zorzi (28) with the new ball.

India's Strategy for Day 2

India will be keen to wrap up the South African innings quickly on Day 2. The key will be to utilize the new ball effectively and target the remaining South African batsmen. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will be crucial in this effort. India will also aim to dismiss Senuran Muthusamy early, who looked comfortable at the crease towards the end of Day 1.

South Africa's Perspective

South Africa, on the other hand, will aim to cross the 300-run mark and put pressure on the Indian batting lineup. Muthusamy and Verreynne will need to build a gritty partnership and extend the innings as deep as possible. The South African lower order will also need to contribute valuable runs.

Key Talking Points

• Kuldeep Yadav's Impact: Kuldeep Yadav's three wickets on Day 1 were crucial in bringing India back into the match. His ability to extract turn and bounce from the pitch will be vital on Day 2.
• Missed Opportunities: Several South African batsmen got starts but failed to convert them into big scores. This is something they will need to address on Day 2.
• The New Ball: The second new ball proved effective for India towards the end of Day 1. They will look to exploit it again on Day 2.
• Guwahati's Test Debut: This is the first-ever Test match being held at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati.

Can India restrict South Africa under 300?

The crucial question remains: can the Indian bowlers restrict South Africa to under 300? Given the conditions and the current state of the match, it will be a challenging task. However, with their quality bowling attack and the momentum from the final session on Day 1, India will be confident of achieving this goal. The first session on Day 2 will be decisive in determining the course of the match.