South Africa Dominate as India Face Record 106-Over Survival Test in Guwahati
India vs South Africa 2nd Test, IND vs SA: If India wants to save the Guwahati Test, they will have to bat 106 overs. No one has ever achieved this on Asian soil. However, the Indian team has done it once in Australia.
Team India is on the back foot in the second Test against South Africa, which is being played at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. South Africa set a gigantic target of 548 runs. In reply, Team India lost two wickets for just 27 runs in the second innings. The team now needs 522 runs on the last day, and South Africa needs only eight wickets.
Scoring that many runs in the fourth innings is nearly impossible on Indian soil. So, if Team India wants to draw the match, then they will have to bat all the 90 overs remaining on the fifth day. India has already batted 16 overs, and if they do, they will create history. Batting 90 overs + 16 overs = 106 overs is extremely difficult for Team India. To date, no one has ever achieved this on Asian soil. However, the Indian team has done it once in Australia.
The Indian team batted more than 100 overs in the fourth innings of the match against Australia in January 2021. Interestingly, this was India's weakest Test team. The series was drawn 1-1, and the third Test was to be played in Sydney. Injuries had ruled out most of the star players from the series, and the team lacked even a full 11 players. As a result, net bowlers were included in the squad.
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Australia, batting first, scored 338 runs, thanks to a brilliant innings of 131 runs from Steve Smith. In response, the Indian team collapsed to 244. Australia declared their innings at 312 in the second innings, setting India a target of 406. India got off to a good start, but lost three wickets for just 102. Rishabh Pant's 97, along with fighting knocks from fellow batsmen Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin, helped India draw the Test. India faced 131 overs and scored 334 for 5.
Despite being seriously injured, Vihari and Ashwin remained at the crease and held their ground. They faced 256 balls for the sixth wicket and added 62 runs. The Indian team, captained by Ajinkya Rahane, had successfully drawn the match in Sydney. Now, Team India will have to replicate a similar impressive innings against South Africa in Guwahati.
Since 2000, i.e. in 25 years, India played the most number of overs in the fourth innings at home in 2008. The team then won the match against England in Chennai in 2008 by batting 98.3 overs, while in 2001, it had drawn the match against England in Ahmedabad by batting 97 overs.
In 2005, India lost the match against Pakistan in Bengaluru despite batting 90 overs. In 2004, on the same ground, the team had to face defeat despite fighting for 87.4 overs against Australia. Whereas in 2011, India registered a spectacular victory against West Indies in New Delhi by batting 80.4 overs.
