Towering Proteas pace bowler Marco Jansen says his plan to bounce out India worked wonders after his 6-48 put the visitors in sight of a historic Test series win.
The 2.03m tall Jansen, a left-arm quick, helped bundle out India for 201 in response to South Africa’s 489 on day three in Guwahati.
After winning the first Test in the two-match series in Kolkata, the Proteas are closing on a first series win in India since Hansie Cronje’s team triumphed in 2000.
South African spinners dismissed India’s top three before Jansen took charge to get key wickets with the bouncer and reduce India to 122-7.
“To be honest, we just said we’re going to try it,” Jansen told reporters. “The ball wasn’t nipping as much like in Kolkata, the ball wasn’t squatting as much so we had to figure out a plan and I think when I got my first wicket with a bouncer we said, OK cool, let’s see how long this is going to work for and it just came off.”
HIGHLIGHTS: India vs Proteas (2nd Test, Day 3)
Jansen, who claimed his fourth five-wicket haul across 21 Tests, said, “It’s a good wicket, there’s good pace, good bounce. If you play the short ball well, you’ll score runs. If you bowl well, you’ll get wickets.”
Jansen sent back Dhruv Jurel who fell to a pull shot on the short ball for an 11-ball duck.
Jansen then bowled a rising delivery to Nitish Kumar Reddy who attempted to fend it away, but Aiden Markram took a stunning diving catch from second slip.
Ravindra Jadeja fell to another bumper from Jansen as India slumped further, and later the lanky quick wrapped up the opposition innings in 83.5 overs.
Jansen, who played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL tournament, said his latest performance is a coming of age on how to bowl on Indian pitches.
“I’ve always struggled bowling in India, whether it was white ball or red ball,” Jansen said with a grin.
“I’m still jealous of people who get the ball to squat and nip back, and bowlers who are shorter than me like KG,” he added, referring to Kagiso Rabada.
“Today was just one of those days I got the pace and the bounce out of the wicket, and where everything clicks and everything works and as a player. Those days you take it and you run.”
Jansen stepped up to the challenge of being the team’s pace spearhead after Rabada missed the two matches due to a rib injury he suffered ahead of the opener.
“Not having KG there definitely adds a bit of responsibility and pressure,” he said. “But we know we have the bowlers. We know we have the players in the squad to help the team win.”
– AFP
Photo: BCCI
