India Struggle to 10/2 at Lunch While Chasing 124 in 1st Test Against South Africa

India reached 10/2 at lunch while chasing a modest target of 124 against South Africa on day three of the first Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul fell early, leaving the hosts under pressure on a difficult pitch.

South Africa had earlier extended their lead by adding 60 crucial runs in the morning session, with captain Temba Bavuma remaining unbeaten on 55 as his team were bowled out for 153 in their second innings.

Marco Jansen’s fiery spell put India on the back foot. He dismissed Jaiswal for a four-ball duck with an outside edge to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne. Soon after, he surprised Rahul with extra bounce, forcing another edge to Verreynne. Washington Sundar (5*) and Dhruv Jurel (4*) then held on for the final 4.5 overs before the break.

India are effectively three wickets down as Shubman Gill is unavailable due to a neck injury sustained on day two. The hosts still require 114 more runs and will need patience, smart strike rotation, and timely boundaries to avoid collapsing in pursuit of a low target. A successful chase would also be the highest fourth-innings chase in Tests at Eden Gardens.

Earlier in the day, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj cleaned up South Africa’s remaining three wickets. Bavuma and Corbin Bosch had earlier stitched a crucial 44-run partnership to stretch the lead from 63 to 123. Bosch played confidently against the spinners before being dismissed by Bumrah. Siraj followed up with two quick strikes, but Bavuma held firm to finish unbeaten.

Brief Scores:
South Africa: 159 & 153 in 54 overs (Temba Bavuma 55*, Corbin Bosch 25; Ravindra Jadeja 4-50, Mohammed Siraj 2-2)
India: 189 & 10/2 in seven overs (Washington Sundar 5*; Marco Jansen 2-8) South Africa lead by 114 runs.

With inputs from IANS