In an extraordinary display of lower-order resilience and power, Senuran Muthusamy and Marco Jansen steered South Africa national cricket team to a dominant total of 489 in their first innings of the second Test against India national cricket team in Guwahati — leaving India under severe pressure at stumps on Day 2. Muthusamy hit his first-ever Test century, while Jansen came agonisingly close to one, finishing 93 from a lower-order slot and massively contributing to the visitors’ advantage.
Muthusamy’s knock was a textbook example of patience, control and smart aggression. As an all-rounder often seen as a fill-in rather than a frontline batter, his raising of the bat to mark a maiden hundred was both satisfying and unexpected. He anchored his side’s innings when the platform threatened to wobble after the fall of several wickets. Having resumed the second day with the innings already in motion, he stayed grounded, built partnerships, and converted the opportunity with intent. His 109-run stay injected real momentum and enabled South Africa to extend well beyond the initial rebuild phase.
At the other end, Jansen provided the fireworks. Walking in at No. 9 with South Africa in a delicate position, he turned the session into a celebration of power hitting. His 93, laced with boundaries and sixes, jolted the scoreboard at the exact moment the home bowlers thought they had pinned the visitors down. His innings almost stole the show — if only for the brief moment of falling just short of the three-figure mark. He smashed numerous sixes (seven, in fact) — the most by a visiting batter in India in recent years from that position — and left little doubt that South Africa were not just relying on traditional top-order runs.
Together, the two carved out a decisive chunk in the innings. The partnership between Muthusamy and Jansen — built after the top and middle order had done steady work — turned South Africa’s 247-6 overnight to a mammoth total that left India chasing shadows. Each wicket India claimed seemed to open a new one for South Africa instead — the counterattack at the fall of the seventh wicket caught the hosts undone.
For India, the damage is clear. Their bowling attack faced the dual challenge of peeling away the lower order and doing so without leaking a large chunk of runs in the process. Instead, they conceded momentum, allowing Muthusamy to bat deep and Jansen to swing freely. The fact that a batter at No. 9 could threaten a century speaks volumes about how much control the visitors gained in that phase.
This performance will be remembered not just for the numbers, but for how the story unfolded: a promising Indian bowling day turned quickly into a South African batting resurgence. Muthusamy’s maiden ton gives him the breakthrough he needed; Jansen’s 93 gives him a statement innings that will boost his standing significantly. And for South Africa, the 489 is more than just a total — it’s the psychological upper hand they will carry into the rest of the match.
If India are to recover, they will need lengthy, disciplined batting and inventive bowling to crack this advantage. But at this point, South Africa hold nearly all the cards — thanks in no small part to two unlikely heroes who took the innings from formality to dominance.
12BET Shortlisted for Sportsbook Operator of the Year at SBC Awards 2025