The visitors won the first Test in Kolkata by 30 runs.
the Kagiso Rabada injury kept him away from participating in the first Test in Kolkata. We are safe to say that the Proteas did not miss him that much. Gutsy performances from skipper Temba Bavuma and spinner Simon Harmer did the job for the visitors, as they went up 1-0 in the series to hand India their fourth Test defeat at home in the last six matches.
That being said, the South Africans will be hopeful of Kagiso Rabada returning to the side for the second Test in Guwahati. But just as a precaution, the visitors have added Lungi Ngidi as a cover for the Kagiso Rabada injury just in case the latter does not feature in the XI on November 22. Considering the same type of pitch, the Proteas would not like to play around much with their playing XI.
Though the spinners were the heroes in the first Test in Kolkata, the speedsters played their part too. The venue has always been one of the spectacles for reverse-swing bowling and bowlers like Marco Jansen caused a lot of trouble for the Indians upfront. On the other hand, India’s mainstay Jasprit Bumrah also picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings.
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The 29-year-old pacer will be an extremely good cover for Kagiso Rabada, in the case that the latter misses out due to injury. What role Ngidi would play for the Proteas would highly depend on the kind of pitch that India choose to dish out. However, irrespective of the pitch, Ngidi will be an asset for the side considering his accuracy and variations.
In 20 Tests so far, Ngidi has impressed with 58 wickets at an economy of less than four, which showcases his consistency and accuracy. Even though Ngidi does not possess the best pace behind his deliveries, he can rattle the batters with the lateral movement that he generates off the pitch. Furthermore, his best Test spell of 6/39 came against the Indians and that should give the Proteas a lot of confidence.
With the combination that the South Africans already have, they would not need to tinker a lot ahead of the second Test. The Protea camp would be pretty relaxed ahead of the game in Guwahati, having all based covered. The only thing they would want is the Kagiso Rabada injury to go away for the bowler to be able to make a comeback, which would strengthen the side.
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