India and South Africa will clash in the second and final Test of the series in Guwahati from Saturday, November 22, and all eyes will be on the pitch at the Barsapara Stadium. It’s no surprise that the pitch will be the focal point of discussion after what happened in Kolkata last week when the home side were stunned by 30 runs.
Adding to the intrigue is the fact that Guwahati is hosting a Test match for the first time in history and there is an element of the unknown, given that India have never played a Test here. The early sunset is also a factor. Two days before the match, it was already dark at 4:30 PM IST. To better acclimate the players, tea is taken first and then lunch.
On the eve of the test, the pitch was evenly covered with grass. The Barsapara Stadium surface has red soil underneath and unlike the Eden Gardens pitch, which was not watered before the Test, it was watered on Thursday. KL Rahul training at Barsapara Stadium (PTI Photo)
The pitch in Kolkata has divided opinion. Uneven bounces and sharp turns were evident on the surface at Eden Gardens as early as Day 1. The Indian batsmen struggled to cope and failed to chase down 124 in the final innings and slipped to their fourth defeat in six home Tests.
India’s obsession with extreme pitches, despite knowing that such surfaces reduce the gap in quality between the two teams’ spinners, has backfired.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir defended the pitch after the defeat in Kolkata and said the curator had provided the surface India had asked for. While his remarks sounded exaggerated, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak clarified on Thursday that Gambhir spoke in this manner only to deflect blame from the Eden Gardens curator, adding that no one wanted the pitch to help the spin as intensively as it did from day one.
There is considerable intrigue around the Barsapara pitch, particularly with India in danger of being whitewashed in a home Test series for only the second time – and the second year in a row, after losing 0-3 to New Zealand in 2024.
PITCH WILL PLAY BETTER: BAVUMA, PANT
But there is hope that the Guwahati pitch will not be another lottery where luck trumps skill.
India stand-in captain Rishabh Pant said he expected the pitch to assist the batsmen for the first two days before assisting the spinners later. It will be a special moment for Pant, who will lead India in a Test for the first time at the ground where he made his ODI debut.
“This pitch is very special. I made my ODI debut here. I will be captaining the Test team here for the first time. It is special for the whole city as it is hosting a Test for the first time. This pitch will play better. It will definitely be a better wicket to bat on. After the first two days, it will turn around eventually. But it will be a good match,” Pant said.
South African captain Temba Bavuma also agreed with Pant’s assessment of the pitch.
“This pitch will play better. It will definitely be a better wicket to bat. After the first two days, it will eventually turn around. But it will be a good match,” he said.
Bavuma also confirmed that Kagiso Rabada, who missed the first Test with a side strain, will not be available for the second Test either.
“This wicket looks a lot fresher and will be more consistent in terms of variability compared to Kolkata. We will look again in the morning and decide on Kagisa’s replacement,” opined the skipper.
The draw will be held on Saturday at 8:30 am IST in Guwahati and play is scheduled to start at 9:00 am.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
November 21, 2025
