Guwahati, Nov 25 (NationPress) India experienced brief highlights through Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, yet South Africa maintained control on Day 4 of the second Test, led by an impressive 94 from Tristan Stubbs. This performance enabled the visitors to extend their lead beyond 500 runs, ultimately declaring at 260/5 and setting India a daunting target of 549 runs.

The day commenced with South Africa resuming at 26/0, where openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram showcased confidence, elevating the score to 58 before India's spinners made their mark. Rickelton, who had a fortunate start, was dismissed for 35 while attempting a risky shot, allowing Jadeja to claim his first wicket. Jadeja struck again shortly after, getting Markram out for 29 with a delivery that spun sharply and troubled the batters.

Washington Sundar complemented Jadeja's efforts excellently, delivering a disciplined spell with subtle pace variations that restricted South Africa’s scoring. His efforts bore fruit when he dismissed captain Temba Bavuma, who offered a straightforward catch to leg slip. Despite a few missed run-out chances, India demonstrated energy in the field, ensuring South Africa's progress remained steady rather than rapid.

At 107/3 by tea, the session seemed evenly poised as Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs stabilized the innings, mixing caution with calculated aggression. Both players found regular boundaries, shifting momentum back in South Africa’s favor as they headed into the second session.

De Zorzi and Stubbs batted with intent, sweeping, cutting, and rotating the strike as if they were on a vastly different surface than the one challenging India. Each boundary through the gaps served as a reminder that South Africa were not merely surviving; they were advancing. De Zorzi’s sweeps sliced through the leg side with authority, while Stubbs absorbed pressure before unleashing strokes that depleted India's early energy.

After tea, Jadeja trapped de Zorzi lbw just short of a half-century, yet even that wicket felt more like a pause than a turning point. Stubbs continued towards his fifty, appearing unhurried and unaffected, as Wiaan Mulder joined him to extend the lead beyond 500 runs with quiet confidence.

With four sessions left in the match, the Proteas showed no signs of an early declaration, adding 113 runs in the second session while losing just one wicket. India even resorted to part-timer Yashasvi Jaiswal for an over, but South Africa's grip remained unchallenged.

By lunch, South Africa had reached 220/4 in 70 overs, firmly in the driver's seat as India faced a monumental challenge.

As Stubbs neared a century, the Proteas resumed their batting after lunch, despite many anticipating a declaration. The young player approached the nerve-wracking nineties, and South Africa held their breath to see if he could reach 100 before the innings concluded. However, upon his dismissal, Bavuma signaled for the batters to retire, wrapping up their innings at 260/5 and setting the hosts an enormous target of 549 runs.

While a victory seems unlikely, Team India will aim to bat through the remainder of Day 4 and the final day on Wednesday to salvage a draw. Meanwhile, South Africa will strive to bowl out the hosts once more, seeking a historic win and valuable points in the World Test Championship.

Brief Scores: South Africa 489 and 260/5d in 78.3 overs (Tristan Stubbs 94, Tony de Zorzi 49; Ravindra Jadeja 4/62) lead India 201 all out in 83.5 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 58, Washington Sundar 48; Marco Jansen 6-48, Simon Harmer 3-64) by 548 runs.