South Africa’s Marco Jansen produced one of the most memorable all-round performances against India, dismantling the hosts almost single-handedly in the Guwahati Test. After troubling India with the bat earlier, the left-arm pacer unleashed a lethal bowling spell on Day 3, picking up six wickets for just 48 runs. His brilliance bundled India out for 201, giving South Africa a massive 288-run first-innings lead.

How Jansen Triggered India’s Collapse
On pitches in India that usually favour spin, Jansen’s raw pace and sharp bounce stole the spotlight. Standing at 6'8", he used his height to generate steep bounce that Indian batters struggled to handle.

He dismissed:
• Dhruv Jurel
• Rishabh Pant
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Nitish Kumar Reddy
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Jasprit Bumrah

Five of these six wickets came from well-directed bouncers, leaving India rattled throughout the session.

A Record After 49 Years
Jansen’s six-wicket haul was his fourth Test five-for and his first against India. It is also his best performance on Indian soil. But what makes the feat historic is the rare combination he achieved in this Test:

• Jansen became the first South African left-armer to score a fifty against India in India and take a five-wicket haul in the same Test.
• Only three players in the world have managed this combination on Indian soil.
• The last time this happened was in 1976, when England’s John Lever achieved the feat.

For South Africa, this milestone came after 25 years — the previous Proteas player to score a fifty and take a five-for in India was Nicky Boje in 2000.

South Africa Declines Follow-On
Despite bowling India out cheaply and securing a huge 288-run lead, South Africa decided not to enforce the follow-on — the first time a team has taken such a large first-innings lead against India at home and still opted out of enforcing it.