India will take on South Africa in the second Test in Guwahati on Saturday.
It has been four days since the completion of the first Test between India and South Africa in Kolkata. The teams have reached Guwahati, the venue for the second and final Test of the series. However, something about the series keeps pulling viewers to Kolkata. The pitch for the 1st IND vs SA Test was a huge point of discussion after Gautam Gambhir revealed that it was what Team India wanted.
The Indians, who offered a spinning wicket to the Proteas, fell into their own trap as the visitors came out victorious after a prolific all-round display in the first Test. Simon Harmer ran through the Indian batting order, who were all out for 93, chasing a target of 124, which felt like a mountain to climb on the third day of the Test.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir was asked about the quality of the pitch in the post-match press conference. He was clear enough to express that the Indians were satisfied with the wicket, and there were absolutely no complaints against the curator. He went a notch ahead to state that it was the batters who should have taken the responsibility in the fourth innings.
Cut to the pre-match press conference for the second Test in Guwahati, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has given a statement that is completely different from the head coach. Kotak stated that the hosts did not expect the pitch to start turning so early in the game. Furthermore, he also stated that Gautam Gambhir took the entire blame on himself to protect the curator.
“We just need a little spin because spin is our strength. Now, what happened in the last match, after a day, it felt like it was crumbling. All of you could see that. That was not expected. Even if spin was expected, it was after three days or on the third day in the evening”, said Kotak.
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Since Gautam Gambhir took over as the head coach of the Indian side, the team has been on a roller-coaster ride. Much to say, the Indians have lost four of their last six home Tests – a record that was once their worst nightmare. It used to take a lot of effort for teams to beat India at home. But with the pitches the hosts are providing these days, it seems too easy.
Rather, it seems as if a miscalculation from the hosts in terms of the depth and quality of their own batting. Providing wickets that grip and turn certainly reduces the gap between the spin ability of the two teams. A similar issue came up after the hosts lost to New Zealand in 2024 at home, when the Kiwi spinners wreaked havoc on the Indians.
As if this much was going to be enough trouble for the Indians! The team management seems to be getting a lot of criticism for the selection of the playing XI. Gautam Gambhir has been making his intentions very clear, which include playing an all-rounder in place of a pure batter or bowler, which has somehow cost the balance of the side.
Furthermore, there seems to be no clarity on the roles that have been assigned to the players within the team. In the first Test against the Proteas, the management opted to send out Washington Sundar at No.3, while benching a specialist batter and probably a more permanent option – Sai Sudharsan. With the youngster being drafted back into the side for the second Test, the batting order will once again have to be shuffled.
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