IND vs SA: Rishabh Pant Pulls Off Stunning Catch As Siraj Fires Up In Guwahati Test

IND vs SA: India captain Rishabh Pant delivered one of the standout moments of Day 1 in the second Test, taking a sharp catch to remove South Africa’s Tony de Zorzi off Mohammed Siraj’s bowling. Unlike the turning track at Eden Gardens, the Guwahati pitch has offered solid support for batters.

South Africa dominated early on, but India’s bowlers clawed their way back into the contest after lunch. The Proteas, defending World Test Championship winners, currently sit in third place on the table and risk slipping to fourth if they lose this match. For India, this is now a matter of pride, as the Gautam Gambhir-led unit is determined to avoid a Test series sweep at home.

Rishabh Pant’s Flying Effort Removes Zorzi

South Africa shuffled their batting order again, sending Tristan Stubbs up top while Tony de Zorzi and Wiaan Mulder slotted into the middle. Once the second new ball was taken after 80 overs, Pant handed it to Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj to attack with fresh energy.

Jasprit Bumrah bowled a quiet over, but Siraj struck immediately. The ball pitched on a good length and moved away slightly. Zorzi poked at it without proper footwork, and Rishabh Pant reacted instantly.

With lightning-fast reflexes, he leapt to his left and snapped up the catch with both hands. Play was called for the day before the over could be completed, with South Africa finishing at 247 for 6 after batting through all sessions.

Kuldeep Shines as Indian Bowlers Fight Back

In comparison to the bowler-friendly surface at Eden Gardens, which many felt made the contest one-sided, the Guwahati pitch has provided a fair battle between bat and ball. Bumrah set the tone early by removing Aiden Markram just before lunch.

But Kuldeep Yadav was the standout performer, grabbing three wickets across the middle sessions and constantly troubling the batters. Ravindra Jadeja and Siraj chipped in with a wicket each, with Jadeja taking the important scalp of the South African captain.

Nitish Kumar Reddy Underused Again

Nitish Kumar Reddy, brought in as an all-rounder to replace the injured Shubman Gill, found himself underused with the ball once more. He bowled only four overs in the morning and didn’t manage a breakthrough. Washington Sundar also went wicketless despite being the first spinner Pant turned to during the day.