As former India skipper and head coach Anil Kumble predicted before the start of proceedings, “I don't see the pitch to be dangerous like Kolkata. It will be a good surface to bat on.
Buoyed by a hard-fought 30-run win in the opening Test at Eden Gardens, the Proteas arrive here with confidence and opportunity on their side. The result not only gave them a 1-0 lead but also marked their first Test win in India in 15 years.
Ponting, who has worked closely with Pant in the Indian Premier League (IPL), conceded that it is never easy to be a stopgap captain but has backed the Indian keeper-batter to handle it in the longest format.
India’s young batting group has looked short on both conviction and technique on surfaces that demand clarity of defence and decisive footwork
Gill, who suffered a neck injury after facing just three balls on the second day of the first Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, played no further part in the game.
But ahead of the second Test in Guwahati, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak strongly pushed back against what he termed as a narrative unfairly directed at Gambhir, hinting that some of the criticism may be driven by “agendas”.
Test cricket tradition arrives in Guwahati as Ceremonial bell to ring in new era of international red-ball contests
Gill did not return to bat in India’s second innings, and his absence proved decisive as the hosts crumbled to a third-day defeat in the series opener.
Typically, such a sequence is reserved for day-night Tests, but officials made the adjustment for this day's game due to the region’s rapidly fading light.
The decision was taken at the apex council meeting of the BCCI held in Kolkata on Saturday.
