Pant Leads India in Guwahati as SA Bat First in Test 2
Pant Leads India in Guwahati as SA Bat First in Test 2
Rishabh Pant captains India in Guwahati as South Africa bats first in the second Test, with Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Kumar Reddy earning recalls.
In Guwahati, the second Test between India and South Africa began with South Africa winning the toss and opting to bat first. The match also marked a milestone moment as ACA Stadium hosted its first-ever Test, making Assam's fans part of a growing national expansion of Test cricket. India named two changes, bringing in Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Kumar Reddy for Shubman Gill and Axar Patel, while South Africa brought Senuran Muthusamy in for Corbin Bosch, signaling a strategic shift toward more spin on a pitch seen as offering help to both pace and spin as the day progressed.
Rishabh Pant led India for the first time in a Test, stepping in after Gill was ruled out with a neck injury. The day’s play saw Jasprit Bumrah bowling with precision, testing Aiden Markram from one end as South Africa built a solid platform. Markram, who took 17 balls to open his account, eventually fell to Bumrah after a 35-ball stay that underscored the early challenges for SA on a pitch that offered something for bowlers at times. South Africa finished the day at 247 for six, having established control for much of the session before India rallied in the later spells, courtesy of Kuldeep Yadav and a disciplined defensive mindset.
At lunch, South Africa stood at 156 for 2, with Tristan Stubbs unbeaten on 32 off 82 balls and captain Temba Bavuma on 36 off 86. The innings was built on a mix of aggression and careful shot selection, as India looked to strike in the middle session with a renewed plan to pressure the visiting batsmen.
Pant’s influence went far beyond the fielding and batting order. Behind the stumps, he directed his bowlers with energy, delivering memorable stump-mic moments that captured his willingness to push his bowlers and maintain intensity. Quotes from those moments included, "badhiya KD, good start hai yeh," and reminders to lift body language, followed by encouragement like, "Keep up the body language" and guidance such as, "If you keep bowling like this, you'll get a wicket," reinforcing a captaincy style that blends communication with tactical backing.
This match also adds to Pant’s growing tally of leadership experiences; he became India’s 38th Test captain, continuing a trend of bold leadership decisions. Meanwhile, toss history remained a talking point for India, as Pant lost the coin flip again—an eight-out-of-nine run in toss outcomes that has become part of the narrative around the captaincy in this series.
As the day closed, India’s bowlers looked to press the advantage on Day 2, aiming to capitalize on the early conditions and put South Africa under pressure as they push toward a substantial first-innings score. The Guwahati crowd, witnessing a new Test venue, added atmosphere to a fixture that promises more ebbs and flows on a pitch expected to evolve with time and play.
Cover image source: IND vs SA second Test: South Africa elects to bat; Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy in playing XI 🔗
