Ravindra Jadeja’s 4/27 Leaves India Poised For Win Vs South Africa On Deteriorating Eden Gardens Pitch | Cricket News

Ravindra Jadeja celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder (Picture credit: AP)

The nightmare of facing Ravindra Jadeja on a deteriorating Eden Gardens track became a harsh reality for the Protea batters as India closed in on a win by the end of the second day in the opening Test.

At stumps, Jadeja’s 4/27 in 13 overs had left South Africa reeling at 93/7 with an overall lead of 63.

Captain Temba Bavuma (29 not out off 78 balls) fought a lone battle, but for South Africa to even compete on the third day, which might be the last of this match, they will need at least 125 runs, a prospect that looks improbable at the moment.

When Jadeja entered the attack, stand-in captain Rishabh Pant, who had been guiding Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, was heard on the stump microphone saying, “Jaddu bhai, aap dekh lena,” indicating that the master craftsman needed no further instructions.

Star South Africa spinner Simon Harmer’s classical off-spin had earlier brought his team back into the contest, but Jadeja was always going to be a constant threat on a crumbling pitch with his precise length and ability to attack the stumps, permitting the track to do the rest.

Left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav contributed with 2/12, while Axar Patel took 1/30, providing perfect support for Jadeja. India’s fourth spinner, Washington Sundar, has bowled just one over in the 90 that the hosts have delivered across two innings till now.

Jadeja’s relentless accuracy in a 13-over non-stop spell from the dreaded Club House End on a two-paced, dust-spewing pitch swung the match back in India’s favour, on a day that saw 15 wickets fall (excluding Shubman Gill’s retired hurt).

Introduced in the ninth over of the innings, the second after tea, Jadeja struck almost immediately. His first ball turned past Aiden Markram’s outside edge; the next one overpitched on middle, turned away and Markram’s attempted sweep ballooned off a thick top-edge to Dhruv Jurel at short leg.

With Kuldeep Yadav having removed Ryan Rickelton (11) in the previous over with a googly, South Africa lost both openers within minutes of wiping out the deficit.

Stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant, taking charge after Gill’s neck spasm, backed Jadeja in a non-stop spell from the more treacherous end, a move that paid off. Wiaan Mulder (11) edged a beauty that kissed the outside edge; two deliveries later, Tony de Zorzi (2) was done in by a hint of turn that grazed the glove, clipped the pad and looped to short leg.

Star batter Tristan Stubbs (5) misread the line and length altogether, beaten on the inside as Jadeja hit middle to claim his fourth, his 250th Test wicket in India as well, behind only Kumble, Harbhajan and Ashwin.

Star India allrounder Axar Patel then chipped in from the High Court End, dismissing South Africa’s last recognised batter, Kyle Verreynne, as the wicketkeeper-batter misfired a slog-sweep after surviving 15 deliveries.

Earlier in the day, Jadeja had contributed a valuable 27 with the bat, joining the elite club of Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Daniel Vettori as only the fourth player with the double of 4000 Test runs and 300 wickets.

Pitch under spotlight

What started as a dry pitch on Friday transformed into what resembled a fourth-day subcontinental wicket by the second hour of the morning session. Cracks widened, puffs of dust flew on good-length deliveries and bounce became variable, conditions former India coach Ravi Shastri termed ‘ordinary’ and ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan called ‘awful’.

It remains unclear whether controversial Eden Gardens curator Sujan Mukherjee provided a subpar Test pitch of his own volition or was pressured by a senior member of the support staff.

Star India batter KL Rahul (39 off 119) and Washington Sundar (29 off 82) had appeared resolute in the first hour, extending their compact stand to 57 and raising hopes of an Indian surge.

But Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj’s sustained pressure post-drinks flipped the script. The former opened the gates by removing Washington with a classical off-spinner’s dismissal, then saw Gill retire hurt after a slog sweep triggered a neck spasm. Maharaj then dismissed Rahul, whose attempt to accelerate ended with a low catch at slip as the ball turned and stayed low.

Vice-captain Rishabh Pant counterattacked with trademark audacity, smashing Maharaj for two sixes and unfurling a reverse sweep, but Corbin Bosch removed him with a sharp bouncer just before lunch.

India never recovered thereafter. Harmer finished with 4/30 from 14.2 overs, teasing India’s six left-handers, a first in their Test history, while tall pacer Marco Jansen (3/35) used steep bounce to clean up the lower order as India folded for 189, a slender 30-run lead.

At tea, India took the wicket of South Africa opener Ryan Rickelton with Kuldeep providing the breakthrough that made it 20 wickets to fall across five sessions in the opening Test.

On a track where strokemaking has been impossible and survival itself a challenge, the final two days may not be required. India’s spinners have already shown enough control and threat to suggest that even a chase of 120-150 could become tricky.

With the game hurtling towards a third-day finish, Sunday’s first session could well decide the series opener.

(With PTI Inputs)