India’s top-order wobbles deepened in the opening Test at the hallowed Eden Gardens as Mohammed Siraj departed for a single, leaving India reeling at 188 for 8 against South Africa on Day 2.

What had seemed a manageable chase against a first-innings total of 159 for the visitors has morphed into a tense balance of power.

Earlier, India resumed at 138 for 4 after lunch — but the afternoon session belonged to South Africa’s bowlers, who chipped away with dogged discipline and fierce intent.

Veteran spinner Simon Harmer led the charge, while left-arm orthodox Keshav Maharaj and the pace of Marco Jansen exploited the variable bounce to perfection.

Just when India hoped to stitch a meaningful partnership, Harmer triggered a collapse: Washington Sundar edged his slow off-spinner to slip, and captain Shubman Gill retired hurt in audible discomfort.

Maharaj then trapped KL Rahul, who had recently reached the 4,000-run mark, for 39. India had the door open, but the bowlers walked right through.

Later, Rishabh Pant offered a glimmer of resistance — two towering sixes and a reverse sweep suggest he sensed the urgency — but rookie pacer Corbin Bosch sprang a surprise with a well-directed short ball to send Pant back, and India slipped to 172 for 7.

The equation changed from looking like consolidation to crisis. And then came Siraj’s exit. As a tail-ender at the crease, he managed just one run before falling, effectively teeing up South Africa with a palpable momentum shift.

India now has just two wickets in hand and a narrow lead, on a surface offering dangerous bounce and inconsistent turn. At 188/8, with the lead sitting at less than 40, the hosts are no longer in firm control.

For South Africa, this is exactly the kind of scenario they’d envisaged at the toss: steady, disciplined bowling, attacking field,s and no let-up as the pitch slowly bit.

For India, the win that appeared to be within reach is now anything but assured. They’ll need their last pair to dig in hard, and they’ll need it fast.

If India manages to post a lead of 60-70 on this pitch, it might still be a respectable buffer — but anything less will place them under enormous pressure, particularly given the short boundary lengths and crowd expectation here.

With Siraj gone, the batting depth has been tested. India will now hope that the two remaining batsmen can offer stiff resistance and reset the contest before the day unfolds further.

This Test has turned into a battle of attrition, and South Africa has certainly seized the initiative. India will now be keen to shift gears, find partnerships and — crucially — extend their batting line–up before the pendulum swings decisively the other way.