NEW DELHI: India are staring at another Test series loss at home after South Africa piled up 489 in the first innings of the second Test in Guwahati. According to former India head coach Ravi Shastri, if the hosts are to make a comeback in the match, they will need to score quickly and declare their innings 90-100 runs short of the Proteas' total.
Shastri believes India's only chance to level the two-match series depends on their approach: they must score quickly, force South Africa to bat again, and then bowl them out as soon as possible.
"Tactically India will have to take a call tomorrow. See how they get through the new ball, and then take the game forward, and force a win in this Test match. They'll have to call the shots, which means you might even want to declare behind. Then try and bowl out the opposition quickly in the second innings.
"You've got to take those chances. You can't wait to bat and go past 489, that'll take a long time. Might have to even declare 80, 90, 100 runs behind and see how it goes," Shastri said while calling the game for the Star network.
Trailing 0-1 in the two-match series, India were nine for no loss in 6.1 overs when stumps were drawn on the second day in fading light.
Senuran Muthusamy, who had scored a match-winning 89 not out against Pakistan in Rawalpindi a month ago, hit his maiden Test hundred, a gutsy 109 off 206 balls while Marco Jansen sent the spinners on a proverbial leather hunt with smashing 91-ball-93.
During his belligerent effort, Jansen smashed seven sixes, the highest by an overseas batter on Indian soil, surpassing Viv Richards and Matthew Hayden, both of whom had hit half a dozen maximums.
