Senuran Muthusamy of South Africa said on Sunday that he overcame career uncertainties following a forgettable first Test match in India to return and score his first century.
On the second day of the second Test in Guwahati, Muthusamy hit 109 in South Africa’s commanding 489 all out, frustrating the Indian attack with his perseverance and grit.
Muthusamy, a spin-bowling left-hander, missed the team’s first victory but came back for the second Test, his eighth, to make an immediate impression batting at number seven.
In a nation where he can trace his ancestry back several generations to Tamil Nadu, the 31-year-old achieved his hundred in 192 balls and put on a crucial eighth-wicket stand of 97 with Marco Jansen.
“My journey’s been unique,” Muthusamy told reporters. “(I) Got a taste of international cricket in 2019 in India, debuted here, went back into the wilderness a little bit.
“There were times, especially after 2019, where I wasn’t sure if I’d ever play Test cricket again and certainly not in India after we lost that series.”
“I’ve got a really cool group around me, so I’m very grateful for their support and their love. Yeah, it’s an awesome journey,” he said.
In his 2019 debut at Visakhapatnam, Muthusamy did rather well with the bat, going undefeated in both innings for 33 and 49. However, in the subsequent Test at Pune, he only made 9 and 7.
He lost favor after taking just two wickets with the ball in two crushing losses. He played in two Test matches in 2023 and 2024, but he made a strong comeback this year, scoring 106 runs and taking 11 wickets to win player of the series in South Africa’s recent 1-1 draw with Pakistan.
“It’s tough being a spinning all-rounder in South Africa,” Muthusamy said.
“Conditions are a lot different (in South Africa) to the sub-continent. But when we get an opportunity to come to the sub-continent… it’s an awesome challenge that we look forward to.
“I see myself as an all-rounder so I try to contribute where I can towards the team’s cause. I just try to add as much value as I can.”
South Africa, led by Temba Bavuma, is trying to win their first Test series in India since Hansie Cronje’s squad won in 2000.
Despite a strong first innings total, the South African spin assault of Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, and Muthusamy will have a difficult time displacing the Indian batters on the Guwahati surface, which still appears to have plenty of runs.
“I think Simon’s got over a thousand first class wickets, Kesh has over 200 international wickets,” said Muthusamy.
“So there’s a vast amount of experience and I look forward to seeing how things unfold.”
