Sai Sudharsan was careless, Dhruv Jurel was indiscreet and captain Rishabh Pant was downright irresponsible as India suffered a dramatic batting collapse, leaving them on the brink of an embarrassing home series whitewash against South Africa on Monday.

On a pitch Kuldeep Yadav had described as a “road,” India were bounced out for just 201 in their first innings by Marco Jansen, who finished with figures of 6 for 48 after smashing 93 on the second day.

At stumps on day three of the second Test, South Africa reached 26 for no loss, stretching their overall lead to 314. They appear set to give India a fourth-innings target in excess of 450, with 120 overs remaining for their bowlers.

Jansen’s spell will be especially memorable because the conditions offered little assistance to any type of bowler.

While head coach Gautam Gambhir faced criticism for the rank turner prepared in Kolkata, Monday’s collapse in Guwahati had nothing to do with the pitch. It was India’s poor game awareness in the first session and a half that stood out, and Gambhir will likely have tough questions for his batters.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (58) and KL Rahul (22) provided a steady start but were undone by the only two deliveries from the spinners that bounced unexpectedly. What followed was a stunning slide from 95 for 1 to 122 for 7, marked by reckless shot-making and a complete disregard for the match situation.

Sudharsan (15), Jurel (0) and Pant (7) fell within 13 balls—dismissals none of them would want to revisit. From the dressing room, the head coach could only watch as his side collectively imploded.

The pitch required nothing more than basic, patient test batting. After the openers fell, the spinners hardly posed a challenge. Washington Sundar (48 off 92) and Kuldeep Yadav (19 off 134) did their part, adding 62 runs in nearly 35 overs. If Kuldeep could survive over two hours, questions will be raised about the lack of restraint shown by Jurel and Pant.

Sudharsan, meanwhile, may struggle to find future Test opportunities when India resumes red-ball cricket against Sri Lanka later this year. His dismissal mirrored the mistake he made in the first Test against the West Indies, rocking back to pull a ball that wasn’t there for the shot. This time, Ryan Rickelton pulled off a fine catch at mid-wicket.

Jurel misjudged a slower short ball outside off-stump and miscued the pull, an ill-timed stroke with just minutes left before tea.

Pant’s dismissal was arguably the most disappointing. Fully aware of the team’s fragile position, the captain charged down the track for an ugly cross-batted swing. Jansen, expecting this, shortened his length cleverly, leading to a thin edge to the wicketkeeper.

Suddenly, India were 102 for 5. Nitish Kumar Reddy (10) and Ravindra Jadeja (6) soon followed, both undone by Jansen’s barrage of bodyline short balls.

South Africa now have ample time to push for a 2-0 series win. For India, even salvaging a draw would feel like a moral victory. But for Gambhir, his credentials as a Test coach are again under scrutiny, regardless of how the match ultimately ends.

(By PTI Inputs)