As South Africa batted India out of the ongoing Guwahati Test by setting the hosts an unassailable target of 549 runs on day 4 of the IND vs SA 2nd Test, Indian cricket fans on social media slammed Gautam Gambhir, demanding his axing as the Test coach.
Under Gambhir, while India have been building strongly in the two white-ball formats, the Test team has suffered and dipped significantly.
Last year, India’s 12-year invincible run at home in Test cricket was ended by New Zealand, who also became the first-ever team to record a whitewash in India in a Test series of three or more Test matches.
India then lost hold of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia before squaring 2-2 in England in a series where they failed to grab the key moments.
Upon returning home, a 2-0 thrashing of the West Indies was predictable, but the ICC World Test Champions South Africa posed a strong challenge, and Temba Bavuma’s side beat India in a thriller in Kolkata and are now on the cusp of winning the Guwahati Test.
The target of 549 is well out of the equation, which means that the Proteas have already sealed the series, making it South Africa’s first Test series win in India since 2000. At the end of day 4 in Guwahati, India are 27/2, with No. 3 Sai Sudharsan and night-watchman Kuldeep Yadav at the crease after losing both openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, to timid shots.
IND vs SA 2nd Test: Report of Day 4 in Guwahati; Fans slam Gautam Gambhir
The day began with South Africa resuming their second innings from the overnight score of 26/0. With the Indian bowlers tiring and the body language of the players apparently down, the Protea batters scored runs without much fuss, with only the odd ball doing something.
As the game drifted away from India, stand-in captain Rishabh Pant decided to not employ much of his pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Kuldeep Yadav was spanked for 48 runs in his 12 overs, forcing Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to carry the major workload of the bowling today.
Jadeja claimed four wickets as he finally decided to slow his speeds and give the ball more air, but it all came too late as South Africa had set up this match with a huge first innings total.
Tristan Stubbs scored 94 runs from No. 3, while four other Protea batsmen also got starts, but none of them converted it into a fifty. South Africa declared at 260/5, with Stubbs getting dismissed only six runs short of a century.
With the ball, Marco Jansen continued to hurt India as he got Jaiswal’s edge before Simon Harmer went through KL Rahul’s push to rattle his sticks.
Head coach Gambhir got plenty of criticism and flak on Twitter as India stand on the verge of a 2-0 Test series loss.
IND vs SA: Twitterati lash out at Gautam Gambhir
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