India have been handed an improbable task by South Africa in the second Test match in Guwahati. The Indian team needs to produce something magical to even salvage a draw from here. Check what the maximum number of overs India have batted in an innings to save a Test match.
India have been set a daunting target of 549 in the second Test match against South Africa in Guwahati. The hosts have been completely outplayed by the visitors in the series, and the Proteas are now set to clinch the second contest and sweep the Men in Blue.
After taking a lead of 288 in the first innings, South Africa put up another strong performance with the bat in the second essay as they scored 260/5d. Tristan Stubbs top-scored for the visitors but missed out on a century after falling six runs short at 94.
Stubbs’ wicket was the last one to fall, following which the Proteas decided to declare. India have now been handed a daunting task, both in terms of chasing this total down or even bat for the remainder of the time in this Test match, given that the pitch now has turn on offer.
The batters would have to bat out of their skins to bat for the remaining time in this Test to salvage a draw, or else, a 2-0 sweep is written on the wall. A maximum of 108 overs can be bowled in India’s fourth innings, but it will depend on the light.
The hosts have batted for 15.5 overs on Day 4 but have lost both of their openers in KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal by the end of the day. India went to the stumps 27/2 with Sai Sudharsan and nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav unbeaten in the middle.
What are the maximum overs India have batted to save a Test match?
Fans are eager to know how much India have batted the most in the past to save a Test. The most overs India have batted in the fourth innings to save a Test match is 150.5 against England at the Oval in 1979. The most they have done so in this century were the 131 they batted during the famous Sydney escape in January 2021.
Meanwhile, India had also famously batted 180 overs in the Napier Test against New Zealand in 2009 to save the Test. That effort came during the third innings when India were following on after falling 314 runs short in the first innings to South Africa’s 619/9d. These overs, albeit not in the fourth innings, are the most India have batted to save a Test.