Both the Indian overnight batters, Sai Sudharsan and Kuldeep Yadav were handed a chance each early on Day 5
What could have been 42/6 at the end of 24 overs for India on Day 5 of the Guwahati Test, remained 42/4 at the time of writing this as the hosts were given two straightforward chances by the visitors early on in the day on November 26 (Wednesday).
The first chance came as early as in the third over of the day, which was the 19th of the innings. Marco Jansen, firing all cylinders, bowled a short one and Sai Sudharsan, with a compulsive fish at it, edged and the catch was taken by the wicketkeeper, Kyle Verryenne.
It seemed all over for the left-handed batter as he looked disappointed. Jansen was celebrating with a fist pump in the air when the dreaded siren went off, signalling that the ball was called a ‘No-Ball’ by the third umpire. Sudharsan grinned ear-to-ear and so did his non-striking partner Kuldeep Yadav.
However, Kuldeep was yet to receive his gift of the day, which he did on the first ball of the very next over. The left-handed nightwatchman edged the ball, and it was a sitter for a fielder of Aiden Markram’s ability, but he dropped. Yes, unbelievably, Markram dropped that catch as he was late on to the ball and even the bowler, Simon Harmer, couldn’t believe it.
Despite the two chances, South Africa kept at it and were rewarded in the 24th over, which was the eighth of the day, as Harmer bowled an arm bowl to clean up Kuldeep and followed that up with a drifter that got the edge of new batter, Dhruv Jurel’s willow.
The catch went low to Markram, and he did not make any mistakes this time around as India lost their fourth wicket. South Africa needed six more in nearly 80 overs to be bowled on the day while India needed more than 500 runs.
