South Africa won the toss and elected to bat in the second and final Test against India in Guwahati on Saturday, making a single tactical change to their XI while the hosts opted for a reshuffle that included two incoming players. The match also marks a historic moment as Guwahati becomes India’s eastern-most Test venue, hosting its maiden Test with an early 9 am start to counter early sunset conditions.
Rishabh Pant, leading India as the nation’s 38th Test captain, could not reverse India’s ongoing streak of misfortune at the toss. South Africa, already holding a 1-0 lead in the series, immediately chose to bat first on what appeared to be a balanced but slightly dry surface expected to assist spinners as the match progresses.
South Africa Replace Bosch with Muthusamy
With the series already secured, South Africa opted for stability rather than experimentation. Their lone change involved:
✅ Senuran Muthusamy in
❌ Corbin Bosch out
The decision strengthens their spin depth, pairing Muthusamy with seasoned campaigners Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer. With Kagiso Rabada ruled out, Wiaan Mulder retained his place as the second seam option, though team sheets suggested he would bat lower in the order than usual.
South Africa’s XI features a spin-heavy lower order, indicating expectations of:
- slower pitch behaviour
- abrasive surface conditions
- turn from Day 3 onward
Temba Bavuma continues as captain, supported by wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne and top-order anchors Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton.
India Make Two Key Changes — Sai Sudharsan and Reddy Included
India’s selection puzzle was more complex. Regular captain Shubman Gill was unavailable, and the previous Test saw the team field six left-handers, creating concerns regarding match-ups against South Africa’s left-arm and off-spin arsenal.
To restore batting balance and introduce a right-hand stabilizer, India made two changes:
✅ B Sai Sudharsan replaces Shubman Gill
✅ Nitish Kumar Reddy replaces Axar Patel
Sudharsan offers compact technique at No. 3, while Reddy — a seam-bowling all-rounder with a Test century in Australia — provides:
- pace-friendly support
- tactical right-hand variation
- additional lower-order resilience
Axar Patel’s exclusion strengthens India’s seam-spin hybrid structure, featuring Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja as dual spin options along with Kuldeep Yadav.
Guwahati Hosts Its First-Ever Test Match
This fixture is historic for Indian cricket:
🏏 First Test ever hosted in Guwahati
🌍 Eastern-most Test venue in the country
⏰ Early 9 AM start due to early sunset
Crowd enthusiasm has been high, with substantial ticket demand and regional cricket associations calling it a milestone moment for cricket in the Northeast.
Officials emphasised the early start to avoid poor light delays — a recurring factor in winter day sessions in the region.
Match Dynamics & Tactical Talking Points
✅ Spin Likely to Dominate Late
Three Proteas spinners vs India’s three options suggests spin will shape the narrative from Day 3 onward.
✅ Toss Advantage to South Africa
Batting first on fresh Guwahati soil is expected to pay dividends.
✅ India Betting on Balance
Right-handers Pant and Reddy break left-hand clusters that previously benefitted South Africa’s angles.
✅ Pant’s Debut as Home-Test Captain
All eyes are on:
- field placements
- bowling rotations
- declaration strategies
Especially as India looks to avoid a series defeat at home — a rarity.
Playing XIs
✅ India
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- KL Rahul
- B Sai Sudharsan
- Dhruv Jurel
- Rishabh Pant (capt, wk)
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Washington Sundar
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj
✅ South Africa
- Aiden Markram
- Ryan Rickelton
- Tristan Stubbs
- Tony de Zorzi
- Temba Bavuma (capt)
- Kyle Verreynne (wk)
- Wiaan Mulder
- Senuran Muthusamy
- Marco Jansen
- Simon Harmer
- Keshav Maharaj
