Team India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate shared a strong perspective after the opening day of the second Test in Guwahati, noting that surfaces like this favour India more than the rank turner used in Kolkata. South Africa won the toss and opted to bat, finishing Day 1 at 247 for 6 in 81.5 overs. The conditions offered a fair contest between bat and ball, unlike the sharply turning pitch where the first Test ended in less than three days. Speaking after stumps, Ten Doeschate suggested that India might prefer similar surfaces in upcoming home Tests.
He mentioned, “My personal point of view is that the wicket rarely determines who wins the game. If we had played better in Kolkata, I feel we could have won the Test on that surface. But, having said that, you’ve got to introspect and look at recent results. These sort of wickets maybe do suit us a little better. The template for us is probably closer to this, than playing on some of the wickets that we have played on.”
He also emphasized the role of the toss, adding, “Toss become even more important in such conditions. You’ve got to be prepared to fight really hard as the game is going to go deep. Make sure you stay in the game.”
Kuldeep Yadav Leads India’s Charge On Day 1
India’s bowling unit showed discipline and patience on a surface that demanded effort from both sides. Kuldeep Yadav emerged as the standout performer, picking up three wickets for 48 runs in his 17 overs and consistently troubling the batters. The other three wickets were claimed by different bowlers, reflecting a balanced attack that adjusted well to the relatively even pitch.
Ten Doeschate praised the collective effort and highlighted how India benefitted from a track offering traditional Test-match behavior rather than extreme assistance. South Africa, meanwhile, worked hard to rebuild after losing wickets at regular intervals, with the pitch rewarding concentration rather than aggression.
Assessment Of The Guwahati Pitch And Expectations Ahead
After the Kolkata Test drew criticism for excessive turn, the Guwahati surface was closely observed. Ten Doeschate felt the wicket contrasted sharply with the previous one, stating, “Yeah, I thought it’s a massive contrast from the Kolkata pitch, for one thing. We were expecting a better wicket. I thought it was pretty lifeless, but I’ve just heard Tristan Stubbs say that it was quite hard to score as well. I think it was just good old-fashioned attritional Test cricket. I don’t think there was any evidence to suggest that it’s deteriorating quite yet. I thought it played really nicely. So hopefully it stays in this sort of shape for at least an even amount of period for both teams to cash in on the first-innings scores.”
By stumps, Senuran Muthusamy was unbeaten on 25 with Kyle Verreynne on one, following Tristan Stubbs’ 49 and Temba Bavuma’s 41.
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