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2nd Test: Washington-Kuldeep Take India To 174/7, But Follow-on Cloud Looms Large For India

Barsapara Cricket Stadium: South Africa maintained their dominance in the ongoing second Test by reducing India to 174/7 in 67 overs at lunch on day three at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Monday. India still trail South Africa by 315 runs, though Washington Sundars unbeaten 33 and Kuldeep Yadavs resistance for 14 not out meant they are keeping the hosts in a fight through an eighthwicket stand worth 52 runs. Marco Jansens hostile spell of shortpitched bowling ripped through Indias middle order, claiming Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja to leave the hosts reeling. Though Sundar and Kuldeep have batted for 141 balls together, Indias immediate target will be to avoid the followon, which is 116 runs away. Indias hopes of mounting a fightback after the tea break quickly unravelled when Rishabh Pant, who was seen as the one batter capable of counterattacking against the Proteas, fell for just seven. Pants attempt to take on Marco Jansen backfired when he danced down the pitch for a wild slog, but only edged to the keeper and burnt a review. Jansen then compounded Indias issues by using his height to extract steep bounce that forced Nitish Kumar Reddy into fending a rising delivery and was brilliantly caught by a diving gully, who completed the grab with one hand. With Reddy departing for 10, it left India in deep trouble. Washington Sundar, Indias best batter at number three in Kolkata, came at eight and could just see Jansen continuing to wreak havoc with his barrage of short deliveries the latest of which climbed steeply onto Ravindra Jadeja, deflected off his shoulder and then took the outside edge to second slip. With the review confirming the edge, Jadeja was dismissed for six, leaving South Africa jubilant and India despondent. Sundar finally managed to get going by flaying Jansen for four, before using his long reach to smack Simon Harmer for six. India survived a close call when Harmers appeal for lbw against Kuldeep was sent upstairs, only for replays to show the ball had brushed the glove before looping up to short leg. Kuldeep and Sundar then dug in, displaying solid defence and application, something which was missing in their other batting colleagues, to frustrate South Africa. Kuldeep, in particular, looked assured against spin, thus underlining that the pitch held no demons. As the ball grew older, batting became easier for both Kuldeep and Sundar till lunch arrived. Sundar finally managed to get going by flaying Jansen for four, before using his long reach to smack Simon Harmer for six. India survived a close call when Harmers appeal for lbw against Kuldeep was sent upstairs, only for replays to show the ball had brushed the glove before looping up to short leg. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Brief Scores: South Africa 489 in 151.1 overs (Senuran Muthusamy 109; Kuldeep Yadav 4-115) lead India 174/7 in 67 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 58, Washington Sundar 33 not out; Marco Jansen 4-43, Simon Harmer 2-61) by 315 runs. Article Source: IANS