Overview
- Sai Sudharsan made 15 off 40 balls before chipping Simon Harmer to Ryan Rickelton at mid-wicket, with the catcher securing the ball on a second attempt.
- Dhruv Jurel departed for a duck after 11 balls, mistiming a pull off Marco Jansen to deepen India’s first-innings woes.
- South Africa posted 489 in their first dig at Barsapara on a surface described as flat, leaving India facing a demanding reply.
- Fans questioned the readiness of both players for Test cricket and accused selectors of favouritism, with calls for Ruturaj Gaikwad or Sarfaraz Khan.
- Analysts warned that Sudharsan’s place could be at risk unless he strings together consistent domestic scores before India’s next Test commitments.