A lot at stake as India set to take on SA in India’s newest Test venue

A lot is at stake when India walk out for the second Test against South Africa on Saturday—for a team that once dominated home conditions with an air of invincibility, for head coach Gautam Gambhir, whose puzzling selection calls have repeatedly left his support staff answering uncomfortable questions, and for BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia alongside the Assam Cricket Association, who have waited six long years to host Guwahati’s first-ever Test and can ill afford the 30th Test venue in the country being remembered for the wrong reasons.

Against this backdrop, Rishabh Pant will step into the uncharted territory of leading the home outfit in the absence of Shubman Gill, with the hosts desperate to level the two-match series after the Proteas convincingly wrapped up the opening Test within three days at the Eden Gardens. Trailing 0-1 India, unusually, enter a home Test as underdogs, a position scarcely associated with the side that has dominated visiting teams for nearly three decades.

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But that era of home domination has gradually faded away after New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner exposed technical frailties in 2024, and South Africa’s Simon Harmer and his spin-bowling colleagues have since amplified those vulnerabilities against spin. India’s young batting group has looked short on both conviction and technique on surfaces that demand clarity of defence and decisive footwork.

For Gambhir, the scrutiny is sharper than ever as the numbers are stark, and a potential 0–5 home record against two SENA teams would further dent his coaching legacy, regardless of ICC trophies won. And it is here that Pant’s role becomes crucial, not just as an energetic presence behind the stumps, but as a leader persuaded to make stronger, timelier decisions.

During his career, Pant has captained India once in T20Is against the same opposition and once led Delhi to a Ranji Trophy final in 2017, but his leadership credentials in red-ball cricket remain largely untested. On the third morning of the Kolkata Test, his hesitation to employ Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah while Temba Bavuma added runs that proved vital did raise eyebrows. In Guwahati, he can’t afford such shortcomings.

Focus on pitch

After the Eden Gardens debacle, the focus has clearly shifted to the surface offered at the Barsapara Stadium. Traditionally, a red-soil wicket assists batters before the spinners come into play; the wicket had a tinge of grass when it was uncovered on Thursday. It remains to be seen whether the grass is peeled off on the morning of the match.

Irrespective of the nature of the wicket, the eventual outcome primarily depends on the team composition, technical sharpness, and adaptability of cricketers playing at the highest level. While Gill’s unavailability opens the door for B Sai Sudharsan’s entry into the Playing XI, the team management could have a second thought on the idea.

With as many as seven left-handers in the line-up, the threat of off-spinner Simon Harmer looms large, and as such, the Indian team management could be tempted to bring in Nitish Kumar Reddy as an additional right-handed option and a potential third seamer if early moisture is exploitable.

For Saikia and the ACA, too, this test carries emotional and administrative weight. They wouldn’t want Guwahati’s long-awaited debut, after years of infrastructural upgrades and logistical preparation, to be overshadowed by missteps on the field. A smooth, competitive Test is essential for ensuring the venue’s place in future scheduling cycles.

And thus, as Rishabh Pant & co battle for a series-levelling victory at the ACA Stadium, the stakes extend into every corner of Indian cricket, for a team that once looked invincible, for a coach fighting perceptions, and for a venue desperate to script a proud first chapter.

Squads:

India: Rishabh Pant (captain and wk), KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, B Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Devdutt Padikkal, Akash Deep.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, and Kyle Verreynne.