Mohammed Siraj’s frustration boiled over during a tense third day in Guwahati, and KL Rahul’s lighthearted reaction to it became one of the most replayed moments of the Test. The moment came early in South Africa’s second innings when Siraj, fielding in the deep, hurled a wild return past Rishabh Pant. Pant failed to collect it, forcing Rahul at slip to react instantly and prevent leaking runs. Rahul turned towards Siraj with a pointed gesture, urging him to settle down. The pacer acknowledged it, but the exchange captured India’s mounting pressure as they struggled to find a breakthrough.
Rahul repeatedly gestured with his hands to keep things calm and that there was no need to ‘rush’. Siraj was seen reacting with a wide smile on his face.Watch the moment here India had already endured a punishing day dominated by Marco Jansen, whose 6/48 bundled out the hosts for 201. Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav’s 72-run stand for the eighth wicket delayed the inevitable but couldn’t undo the damage. South Africa, holding a 288-run lead, declined the follow-on and finished at 26/0, stretching their advantage to 314 with two days left.
Poll
What do you believe is the biggest factor in India’s struggle during this Test?
For Indian fans, the only breather came from Siraj himself – and this time for a harmless ‘prank’ on the spidercam. Between overs, the pacer placed his cap on the hovering Spidercam, drawing laughter as the cap covered the lens and the operator nudged the camera down in a silent plea to remove it. Siraj obliged one ball later, giving the crowd a brief reason to smile on an otherwise sobering day.
