NEW DELHI: Aiden Markram produced a moment of pure athletic brilliance that left teammates stunned and social media in meltdown on the third day of the second Test at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday, as India’s innings spiraled deeper into trouble.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Already reeling at 102/4 at tea after losing four wickets in a chaotic opening session, India’s hopes took another hit moments into the second session when captain Rishabh Pant (7) edged Marco Jansen behind after an ugly attempted slog — and burned a review on the way out.But the real turning point, and the moment that electrified the stadium, arrived in the 42nd over. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was undone by a vicious short ball from Jansen, only for Markram to steal the spotlight with one of the catches of the series — and perhaps the year.
The delivery reared sharply, forcing Nitish into an awkward fend that ballooned off the shoulder of the bat towards the slip cordon. Markram, stationed at second slip, launched himself full-length to his right, plucking the ball one-handed in mid-air at full stretch. The South African players swarmed him instantly, while replays — now circulating widely online — showed just how little margin existed between brilliance and impossibility.Nitish departed for 10 off 18 balls, leaving India sinking at 119/6 in response to South Africa’s imposing first-innings total of 489.Jansen’s post-tea burst has shifted the momentum decisively, with the left-arm quick extracting steep bounce and unsettling India’s middle order on a pitch that continues to misbehave.With only the lower order remaining and a massive deficit ahead, India faces the prospect of following on — unless a rescue act emerges.
