NEW DELHI: India are on the cusp of losing yet another Test series at home after their batting crumbled in response to South Africa's first-innings total of 489 in the second Test in Guwahati.

The hosts were cruising at 95 for 1, but a combination of freak deliveries and questionable shot selection saw them lose six wickets for just 27 runs.

After India's abject surrender in the match, head coach Gautam Gambhir faced massive backlash on social media for continuously experimenting with the team composition, and calls for his removal grew louder.

Yashasvi Jaiswal waged a lone battle with a stroke-filled 58 before a ball from Simon Harmer jumped from length, catching him unawares. The southpaw tried to check his drive and it turned into a jab for Marco Jansen to complete a fine tumbling catch.

KL Rahul (22) also looked solid during the opening stand of 65 with the Jaiswal as the duo was hardly bothered by South Africans.

However it was Sai Sudharsan, who once again showed his problems of going onto the back foot against spinners and perishing in the process.

Just like it happened in Ahmedabad against West Indies, he once again went into back foot to pull Harmer and didn't get any elevation with Ryan Rickleton taking a diving catch at mid-wicket.

But Dhruv Jurel (0) would hear not so great words from the dressing room as he didn't need to go for a pull against Jansen just when tea was around the corner.

The ball didn't come at the pace he expected and the mistimed pull was taken by Maharaj.

Stand-in captain Rishabh Pant threw his wicket away by playing a reckless shot as he charged down the track at Marco Jansen, but the ball kissed the edge of his bat and landed in the hands of the wicketkeeper.