Jansen’s Brutal Spell Puts South Africa on Brink of Historic Series Win in India

South Africa’s Marco Jansen produced one of the most destructive fast-bowling spells ever seen in India to bowl the hosts out for 201 on Day 3, securing a massive first-innings lead of 288 and placing the world Test champions firmly on course for a rare series victory on Indian soil.

At 95 for 1, India appeared steady in their pursuit of South Africa’s commanding 489. But from that position of relative comfort, the hosts suffered a dramatic collapse, losing six wickets for just 27 runs and sinking to 122 for 7. On a pitch widely regarded as playable with strategic defence, the sudden meltdown left India without realistic hope of levelling the series.

The turnaround belonged entirely to Jansen. Already the game’s leading performer with a momentum-shifting 93 runs on day two and an athletic catch to remove Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jansen unleashed a barrage of searing short-pitched bowling to claim his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket—finishing with remarkable figures of 6 for 75. His bouncer-driven assault removed Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Jasprit Bumrah, with no bowler since ball-by-ball records began having taken as many wickets with bouncers in a Test innings in India.

On Ian Botham’s birthday, Jansen’s performance echoed the legendary all-round show from the 1980 Jubilee Test—Botham scored a century and took 13 wickets—drawing comparisons to one of the greatest visiting efforts in Indian conditions.

Indian Top Order Crumbles Under Pressure

India’s young and inexperienced core was exposed once again. For the first time since the 1960s, India fielded No. 3 and No. 4 batters with only one Test hundred between them and fewer than 1,000 combined career runs. With the added complication of reduced overs due to early sunset in eastern India, the batting group appeared rushed and unsettled.

The slide began after openers fell to the only two balls that significantly deviated early in the morning session. KL Rahul was bowled by Keshav Maharaj with a slower, looping delivery at 79 kmph, while Simon Harmer removed Jaiswal after a short-pitched ball unexpectedly stood up, leading to a checked shot brilliantly caught by Jansen.

Sai Sudharsan’s brief resistance ended when he pulled Harmer straight to midwicket, and from there the collapse spiralled. Dhruv Jurel miscued a hook, skipper Rishabh Pant nicked off while charging at Jansen in desperation after tea, while Reddy and Jadeja fell to vicious rising deliveries that were physically impossible to negotiate.

Late Resistance Proves Futile

The only meaningful partnership of the innings came from Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav, who blocked patiently for nearly 35 overs when conditions calmed. Washington fell four short of a half-century to Harmer just before the second new ball, and Jansen returned to finish the innings with another nasty short ball to Bumrah.

Forced back onto the field without a full day’s recovery, India’s bowlers could not break through decisively, as South Africa finished the day 314 runs ahead—well positioned to bat India out of the contest and seal their first Test series win in India in more than a decade.

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