On November 23, 2025, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, a single ball changed everything. Ravindra Jadeja, India’s spin maestro, delivered a 92 km/h leg-break that spun in sharply, clipped Senuran Muthusamy’s front pad, and looked textbook LBW. Umpire Rod Tucker raised his finger. The Indian team erupted. Jadeja clenched his fists. Then came the review. And the world stopped.
The Ghost Touch That Altered a Test
It was the faintest of spikes. The DRS Hawk-Eye replay showed a micro-movement — a graze of the bat, barely visible, on the outside edge of Muthusamy’s glove. Just enough to trigger the Decision Review System’s glove rule: if the ball touches the bat or glove before the pad, LBW is void. The call was overturned. Muthusamy, on 48, was reprieved. The Indian players stared. Jadeja ran his hand through his hair, muttering to himself. Even the South African wicketkeeper, Rishabh Pant, stumbled backward, eyes wide, as if he’d seen a ghost. "That’s how it was," he muttered to no one in particular.The moment didn’t just spare Muthusamy — it resurrected him. Four years after his last Test, after years in domestic obscurity, after a brutal 2019 tour of India where he scored 12 runs across three innings, this was his redemption arc. He didn’t just survive. He seized the moment. By the end of the day, he’d scored 109 — his first Test century. And he did it on a pitch that had been expected to crumble under India’s spinners.
From Despair to Dominance: Muthusamy’s Resurgence
When Muthusamy walked in at 201 for five, South Africa’s innings was teetering. The Guwahati pitch, slow and low, had swallowed India’s spinners whole. But Muthusamy, 29, played with the patience of a man who’d waited too long to be here. He’d spent years working with sports scientist Cheryl Calder, refining his footwork, rebuilding his mental game. "There were times," he told Ravi Shastri, "where I wasn’t sure if I’d ever play Test cricket again — certainly not in India after we lost that series in 2019."
His century wasn’t just personal. It was pivotal. He added 70 with Kyle Verreynne (38 at stumps) and then 138 with Marco Jansen, whose 93 off 91 balls included seven sixes — the most by any visiting batter in India. Jansen’s assault wasn’t just power; it was precision. He targeted the short ball, punished anything loose, and turned a shaky middle order into a juggernaut.
By the time South Africa declared at 489 for 8 in 151.1 overs, the pressure had shifted entirely. India’s spinners — Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel — had bowled 87 overs and taken just three wickets. The pitch, once expected to favor them, had turned into a batting paradise.
India’s Desperate Fight Back
At stumps on day two, India had reached 9 for 0. Openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal survived 18 balls in fading light, the kind of tense, high-pressure overs that can define a Test. But the scoreboard told the real story: India needed 481 just to avoid the follow-on. And they had only two days left.
South Africa entered the match with a 1-0 series lead. A win here wouldn’t just be a victory — it would be historic. No visiting team had won a Test series in India since 2012. Australia in 2020? Lost. England in 2021? Lost. Even South Africa’s own 2019 campaign ended in a 3-0 sweep. This was the moment to rewrite history.
Why This Matters Beyond the Scoreboard
India’s home dominance has been a myth for years. Since 2020, they’ve lost three of their last seven home Tests — a staggering stat for a team that once rarely lost at home. The Guwahati pitch, meant to be a spinners’ haven, exposed a deeper issue: India’s inability to adapt when conditions don’t play to their script. The DRS incident wasn’t just bad luck — it was a symptom.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s batting resilience, led by Muthusamy, showed a team with new depth. Jansen’s power-hitting, Verreynne’s grit, Muthusamy’s calm — these aren’t flash-in-the-pan performances. They’re the building blocks of a side ready to compete anywhere.
What’s Next?
Day three will be the real test. If India’s top order — Rahul, Jaiswal, and Virat Kohli — can survive the morning session, the match might still be alive. But if South Africa’s pace attack, led by Anrich Nortje, can exploit the wear on the pitch, India could collapse. And if that happens, South Africa will be one innings away from their first series win on Indian soil in over a decade.
For Muthusamy, it’s more than cricket. It’s a story of perseverance. For Jadeja, it’s a reminder that even the best-laid plans can be undone by a whisper of leather on glove. And for Indian fans? It’s another night of sleepless worry.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the DRS glove rule lead to Muthusamy’s reprieve?
Under DRS rules, an LBW decision can only be overturned if the ball is shown to have made contact with the bat or glove before hitting the pad. Hawk-Eye’s thermal imaging captured a faint, barely visible contact on Muthusamy’s glove — just enough to nullify the LBW. Without that contact, the dismissal would have stood. The margin was so small, even the umpire initially missed it.
Why was this century so significant for Senuran Muthusamy?
Muthusamy’s previous Test appearances were limited: two matches in 2019, where he scored just 12 runs. After that, he spent four years in domestic cricket, battling injuries and doubts. This was his third Test, and his first century. It marked his arrival as a genuine Test player — especially meaningful after India’s spin-heavy attack had previously crushed him.
What impact does this have on India’s home record?
India hasn’t lost a home Test series since 2012. But since 2020, they’ve lost three of seven home Tests — including to England and Australia. A South African series win here would be their first on Indian soil in over a decade, shattering the myth of invincibility at home and exposing vulnerabilities in India’s spin strategy against resilient batting lineups.
Could the Guwahati pitch deteriorate and help India?
Yes — but not yet. The pitch has been slow and low, favoring batsmen. However, by day four or five, it may crack and offer more turn. If India’s spinners can exploit that, they might still claw back. But South Africa’s lead is so large that even a 200-run advantage would require India to bat for nearly 150 overs — a tall order against a disciplined bowling attack.
How did Marco Jansen’s innings change the game?
Jansen’s 93 off 91 balls, with seven sixes, was the most by any overseas batter in India. He didn’t just score quickly — he broke India’s rhythm. After Muthusamy anchored, Jansen took the attack to India’s spinners, forcing them to bowl fuller and wider. That opened up scoring opportunities for others and drained the bowlers’ energy — a critical factor in a long innings.
What’s at stake for South Africa in this series?
A series win in India would be South Africa’s first since 2001. It would signal a new era of global competitiveness, proving they can win anywhere — even against the world’s most dominant home side. For a team that’s struggled for consistency, this could be the foundation of a long-term resurgence.