The South Africa last won a Test series on Indian soil in 1999-2000, this time India are once again looking at a rare series defeat in India to Proteas. This year, India are beginning at yet another home series defeat in Tests.Earlier, after being overlooked 3-0 by New Zealand, Indian cricket team are o-1 down in the two-Test series against Proteas. In a shocking fashion, the hosts lost at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in first Test against South Africa, being bowled out for 93 while chasing 124.
To add to their woes, captain and batting mainstay Shubman Gill in second Test in Guwahati would not be playing due to neck injury. In place of Shubman Gill, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is set as the captain.
India have a selection difficulty, too. Having gone in with four spinners – Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav – on a turning pitch and still ending up as a losing side, has pain India
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Interestingly, South African off-spinner Simon Harmer picked the benefits of the turner, taken eight wickets in the match. In favour of a regular pacer like Akash Deep, will India drop a spinner, or will they bring in pace all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, too, to toughen the pace attack? All these will depend on the pitch’s nature and conditions in Guwahati.
The Guwahati pitch, supposedly, is made of red soil, and so, it should typically offer more pace, bounce, and carry for the fast bowlers, unlike the black soil pitch used in Eden Gardens.
From the third and fourth day of Test onwards, spin might become a factor.
On 22 November, 2025, What is the weather forecast in Guwahati?
For the first day of the second Test between India and South Africa, the weather forecast seems ideal for cricket. The possibility of rainfall is low nearly around 15 percent.
