IND vs SA | Twitter laughs as Jansen spares Rabada the trouble after breaking third bat during rabid innings

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Cricket has come a long way from using broomsticks as bats to huge wooden maces that can pummel balls to oblivion. However, at the hands of a giant they remain prone to wilting, as was exhibited by Marco Jansen in Guwahati on Sunday during a game-changing blitz that resulted in three broken bats.

Marco Jansen's explosive knock at eight took South Africa past 450 on Day 2 of the second Test against India in Guwahati

India were hit by a lower-order storm on Day 2 of the second Test against South Africa as the visitors went from reeling at 247/6 the previous evening to surpassing 450 with relative ease. Senuran Muthusamy dropped anchor to notch up a maiden ton during a 88-run stand with Kyle Verreyne, but it was the arrival of Marco Jansen that completely changed the complexion of the game. Not content to sit around, the six feet eight inch beast went after the Men in Blue bowlers with a vengeance, beginning with a no-look six off Ravindra Jadeja. However, the success came at a cost, albeit not one the youngster would mind given his performance.

By the time Kuldeep Yadav came on for a spell in the 130th over, Jansen had already raced to 25 on the back of a couple of maximums. It took the 25-year-old just two deliveries to take the count to three as he danced down the pitch and lifted Kuldeep over his head for a humungous six. He repeated the treatment in the spinner's following over, this time a stand-and-deliver helping deposit the ball beyond the long-on boundary, but on this occassion his willow splintered and 12th man Kagiso Rabada promptly ran in with a replacement. However, just an over later, Jansen struck a Jasprit Bumrah full delivery back down the ground with venom to rack up another boundary and damaged his bat again, forcing Rabada to sprint back on with yet another replacement. The new willow held the Proteas in good stead as he struck a boundary and three maximums with it post-Lunch to further dent Indian morale and close in on an elusive Test ton. Yet, just as the blitz was gaining even more steam, a couple of flat-batted singles against Mohammed Siraj made the bat splinter again, but Jansen did not want to eat up more time and make Rabada run in again. Instead, Jansen simply kept running after taking the single right till the boundary ropes, where Rabada fetched a new willow for him before his compatriot made his way back to the middle.

Twitterati claimed they had never witnessed something such.

4th time!

— Robinson (@Robinson966715)

haha!

At this rate, By the end of day's play, Marco Jansen will get the same bat in which he started his innings, provided he keeps on changing the bats.
— AK (@akshayakrishnaa)

Lol!

Broken bat counter for Marco Jansen: 3

Seems to be finding the middle plenty enough, progressing to 78 off 73

Some really interesting implications in this match, considering South Africa don't play five Test series anymore

461-8
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket)

Hilarious!

Is Marco Jansen using a biscuit as a bat.
— siv (@sivbreak)

Loading!

We want a Marco Jansen 100 🥰

Guy is back with the bat
— BokScrum (@BokScrum1211)

strike to maharaj!

Jansen giving strike to maharaj 👌
— @cultviratian18 (@lordshivabhatkh)

Well played!

Marco jansen. what a player, man.
— Abdus (@abbdduuss)

Much needed!

Much needed! 🔥

Mohammad Siraj ends the 97-run partnership between Muthusamy and Jansen, handing India a massive breakthrough!
— Arshit Yadav (@imArshit)

On fire!