Ex-India opener calls this player 'very important' if India have to win Guwahati Test: 'He makes big hundreds'

India are in a spot of bother in the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati with the hosts trailing the Proteas by a massive 480 runs at the end of the second day. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal spent a tricky half-hour period with fading light late on Day 2 to help India go into the third day without any damage even though the pair added just nine runs in 6.1 overs.

With only three days remaining in the Test and Guwahati’s early sunset forcing umpires to call off play earlier than official timings, India will have to play out of their skin to force a result in their favour in this Test match. A loss or draw would help South Africa win the series after they won the first Test in Kolkata.

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Earlier, Senuran Muthusamy's maiden Test ton and Marco Jansen’s record-breaking 91-ball 93 helped South Africa play out 151.1 overs and score 489 runs in the first innings.

Former India players Cheteshwar Pujara and Parthiv Patel discussed after stumps on the second day with JioStar how the hosts can still go on to win the Guwahati Test.

IND vs SA: ‘Yashasvi Jaiswal will be key’

“If India have to win from here then I think Yashasvi Jaiswal is a very important player,” former India opener Parthiv said.

In his short Test career, Jaiswal already has seven centuries including two double tons. The 23-year-old Test strike rate is of 66 and also holds the record of most sixes in a Test innings.

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“If you want to win the Test and then you’ll have to play with a good run rate and when Yashasvi Jaiswal plays well he makes big hundreds and also scores quickly,” Parthiv added.

IND vs SA: ‘Match still not over’

Pujara, a key member of India’s invincible Test team that did not lose a series at home between 2013 to 2024, believes that good batting can still help India draw the series.

“Match is still not over,” Pujara said. “I still believe that Indian batters have potential. Especially if tomorrow (third day) if India bat well, then even now India can win this match. Many people will be thinking that it is heading towards a draw but my prediction is that there is still hope.”