Jansen’s Six-Wicket Haul Seals Dominance Over India Jansen’s final figures of 6 wickets for just 48 runs (6/48) stand
🇿🇦 The Marco Jansen Show: Six-Wicket Haul Seals Dominance Over India in Guwahati
Guwahati, November 24, 2025 – On a pivotal Day 3 of the Second Test in Guwahati, South Africa’s towering all-rounder Marco Jansen delivered a devastating bowling spell that completely dismantled the Indian batting line-up, ultimately securing a monumental 288-run first-innings lead and placing the visitors in an unassailable position to clinch a rare series victory on Indian soil.1
Jansen’s final figures of 6 wickets for just 48 runs (2$6/48$) stand as a monumental testament to his emergence as one of the world’s most impactful fast-bowling all-rounders.3 This performance, which carved a swathe through India’s middle and lower order, was the perfect complement to his aggressive, counter-attacking 93 runs with the bat on Day 2, solidifying his status as the match-winner for the Proteas.4
The All-Round Masterclass
The 25-year-old left-armer arrived on the third day already carrying the momentum of his near-century, a knock that had propelled South Africa to a mammoth first-innings total of 489.5 However, it was with the ball in hand that Jansen truly crushed the hopes of the Indian side, turning a promising start for the hosts into a familiar, painful collapse.6
India had resumed their innings with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul looking steady.7 But as the day progressed, and the Proteas’ spinners, Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, chipped away at the top, it was the reintroduction of the tall pacer that brought about the decisive break. After removing the defiant Dhruv Jurel early in the day, Jansen returned with renewed venom after the tea break to inflict maximum damage.
The Collapse: A Swift, Brutal Burst
The key to Jansen’s success was a relentless line that extracted uncomfortable bounce and just enough lateral movement to keep the batters guessing. His spell after tea was nothing short of brutal.
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He quickly accounted for Rishabh Pant (7), catching the aggressive wicketkeeper-batter pushing tentatively forward.
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The crucial scalp of Ravindra Jadeja (6) followed soon after, in a moment of sheer pace and pressure that led to an awkward deflection off the bat and into the slips.8
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Then came the rookie Nitish Kumar Reddy (10) and finally the tail-ender Jasprit Bumrah (5), as Jansen ran through the lower half of the scorecard with surgical precision.
Jansen’s spell of $6/48$ is particularly significant because it came on a Guwahati pitch that had largely been placid and offered little of the turn and prodigious reverse swing usually associated with fast-bowler domination in India. His ability to maintain a consistent length and exploit his height to find a demanding area for the Indian batters was the difference-maker. The sight of wickets tumbling rapidly—India lost its last six wickets for a mere 27 runs—was a clear indication of the pressure applied by the Proteas attack, spearheaded by the left-arm seamer.9
History Etched in Guwahati
The young South African’s performance has earned him an elite place in Test cricket history. By scoring 93 and taking $6/48$ in the same match, he has become the first visiting player in India in this century to register both a fifty-plus score and a six-wicket haul in a single Test. He joins the esteemed company of a very select group of all-rounders to have achieved this feat against India in their own backyard.
Having bundled India out for just 201 in response to their 489, South Africa opted against enforcing the follow-on, a clear sign of their confidence in their massive 288-run lead and their desire to bat India out of the game entirely.10 By Stumps on Day 3, South Africa had already stretched their lead to a dominant 314 runs without losing a wicket in their second innings.11
Staring Down a Series Defeat
For the hosts, this was a day of stark disappointment. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s valiant 58 and a gritty 48 from Washington Sundar were the only innings of substance, but they were insufficient to prevent the kind of mid-innings collapse that has plagued Indian teams in challenging conditions.12 The pressure now rests squarely on the Indian side, who must produce an unprecedented performance over the next two days to salvage a draw, let alone challenge for a win.
Jansen’s Six-Wicket Haul Seals Dominance Over India
With a 1-0 lead already secured from the First Test, Marco Jansen’s phenomenal all-round display in Guwahati—batting heroics followed by a career-defining bowling spell—has effectively tightened South Africa’s grip on the series, leaving India staring down the barrel of a rare and deeply troubling home Test series defeat. The Proteas are firmly on course to register a memorable victory and claim the series.
