India v South Africa 2025 | 2nd Test | Guwahati | November 22 to 26 | Pre-Match Discussion

[BouncerGuy]

India, looking to bounce back from their surprise loss in the opening Test, will fight to keep the series alive when they face South Africa in the decisive second and final match. The contest is set to begin on November 22 at 9:00 a.m.

Led by Temba Bavuma, South Africa delivered a stunning performance to secure a 30-run victory against India, defending a modest target of 124 by bowling the hosts out for just 93.

Play begins earlier than usual, with a 9:00 AM IST start and the toss scheduled for 8:30 AM IST. All eyes will also be on Shubman Gill’s fitness after his neck injury forced him out mid-innings in the first Test.

Squads:

India: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav and 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, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne.

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[jnaveen1980]

Pujara, Rahane, Shami, Kohli, ROhit, Ashwin, Umesh they were pillars of home series domination. Jadeja's bowling has significantly gone down. He is just a batsman. Inspite of all that India should have done better even with absence of Gill. Poor captaincy , team selection let India down. Listening to Gambhir he is not going to give up his all rounder obsession.

 

[harshjoshi87]

Pujara, Rahane, Shami, Kohli, ROhit, Ashwin, Umesh they were pillars of home series domination. Jadeja's bowling has significantly gone down. He is just a batsman. Inspite of all that India should have done better even with absence of Gill. Poor captaincy , team selection let India down. Listening to Gambhir he is not going to give up his all rounder obsession.

You missed Ishant Sharma.

A right hander like Gaikwad or Sarfaraz or Karun or Patidar should have been selected for this test at Guwahati.

Gambhir's obsession & ego will take him down & the team too. Somebody needs to stop this nonsense already.

 

[Devadwal]

You missed Ishant Sharma.

A right hander like Gaikwad or Sarfaraz or Karun or Patidar should have been selected for this test at Guwahati.

Gambhir's obsession & ego will take him down & the team too. Somebody needs to stop this nonsense already.

 

[Vikram1989]

If we loose against sa, I dont see gambhir as test coach as anymore. We have one year to get a new one too.

 

[Mobashir]

India, looking to bounce back from their surprise loss in the opening Test, will fight to keep the series alive when they face South Africa in the decisive second and final match. The contest is set to begin on November 22 at 9:00 a.m.

Led by Temba Bavuma, South Africa delivered a stunning performance to secure a 30-run victory against India, defending a modest target of 124 by bowling the hosts out for just 93.

Play begins earlier than usual, with a 9:00 AM IST start and the toss scheduled for 8:30 AM IST. All eyes will also be on Shubman Gill’s fitness after his neck injury forced him out mid-innings in the first Test.

Squads:

India: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav and 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, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne.

=======

All posters, please take note of the following guidelines for match threads on PakPassion:

1. No personal insults at other posters, players, officials, coaching staff, etc.

2. No making fun of players', officials', or coaching staff's names.

3. Do not add any references to media, their social media, or post any pictures or screenshots from other sports websites.

4. Stick to commenting on this match. There is no need to bring other countries into the match discussion, as there are plenty of other threads where those discussions can be added.

Actually it wasn't that big a surprise. SA have a better XI.
But to win without Rabada is something special.

 

[harshjoshi87]

Man of the Series in Ind 'A' v South Africa 'A'

Better than timid coward Gill

 

[Devadwal]

Man of the Series in Ind 'A' v South Africa 'A'

Better than timid coward Gill

Gill is rulings the World cricket or ye Tuktukraj A team ka waterboy hi rahegaa

 

[The Bald Eagle]

India favorites now
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India captain Shubman Gill could miss the second test against South Africa if there is any concern about a recurring neck spasm, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on Thursday

Gill, who retired hurt in the first innings of the Kolkata test which India lost by 30 runs, travelled with the team to Guwahati on Wednesday.

"He is definitely recovering really well. Now, the decision (whether to play him or not) will be taken tomorrow evening," Kotak told reporters.
"If we have a guarantee that very likely he won't have this issue again, then he will play. If there is a doubt, he will take rest (for) one more game, because it won't be helpful to the team."

Vice-captain Rishabh Pant will lead the hosts if Gill misses the second test which starts on Saturday in Guwahati.
"Any team would miss a player and a captain like Shubman. But if he misses out because of an injury, then we have plenty of good players who should step up and perform for the team," added Kotak

If Gill is absent, Sai Sudharsan could reclaim his spot in the top order, with Devdutt Padikkal and Nitish Kumar Reddy also available as alternatives.

India and South Africa will meet in three one-day internationals and five T20 internationals between November 30 and December 19.

Source: Reuters

 

[harshjoshi87]

Gill is rulings the World cricket or ye Tuktukraj A team ka waterboy hi rahegaa

Lol lekin Shabnam bechari toh retire hurt ho gayi, najuk jo hai bechari

 

[Rajdeep]

Easy win coming for Bharat. Any spoiler on my prediction? @The Bald Eagle

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Easy win coming for Bharat. Any spoiler on my prediction? @The Bald Eagle

Damage has already been done, also Shubman missing. So you do look favorites at the moment. But don't thing would be an easy win unless Don Bavuma falter.

 

[shamaan]

I think it will be close game but I expect India to win.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Easy win coming for Bharat. Any spoiler on my prediction? @The Bald Eagle

Lol don't understand how come you expecting an easy win, seems like you have already activated your version of Aqib ball

 

[jnaveen1980]

Lol don't understand how come you expecting an easy win, seems like you have already activated your version of Aqib ball

It massively favors team batting first. Still could have won but for stupid captaincy by Pant by allowing last 3 of their wickets adding 60 runs.

 

[sweep_shot]

Hoping for another resounding South African victory.

 

[Bewal Express]

Why are India playing so many spinners? 2 is more than enough and that should allow proper batsman to be played. The Indian team has no shame. Its like a T20 team but with less batsman.

 

[sweep_shot]

Why are India playing so many spinners? 2 is more than enough and that should allow proper batsman to be played. The Indian team has no shame. Its like a T20 team but with less batsman.

Probably because they are overconfident.

They need to realize they no longer have Kohli, Rohit, Ashwin, and Pujara to bail them out.

I think they are now a mid-tier Test team.

 

[Bewal Express]

Why are India playing so many spinners? 2 is more than enough and that should allow proper batsman to be played. The Indian team has no shame. Its like a T20 team but with less batsman.

@Mods
Typo. It should say no shape instead of shame

 

[Bewal Express]

Probably because they are overconfident.

They need to realize they no longer have Kohli, Rohit, Ashwin, and Pujara to bail them out.

I think they are now a mid-tier Test team.

I think they are better than that but I agree there is an arrogance not based on facts

 

[jnaveen1980]

As long as Gambhir is the Test coach they will be struggling through this transition period. Everyone is chasing shorter format.

 

[CricVet]

Defending test champions won't make it easy for India again. SA wins IF Rebada plays. If he does not, India would need to fight tooth and nail against Lungi, simon, and Keshav. A 2-0 SA win will be awesome. I hope that they make a square turner and SA wins it batting 2nd this time around to prove dominance.

 

[Rajdeep]

Why are India playing so many spinners? 2 is more than enough and that should allow proper batsman to be played. The Indian team has no shame. Its like a T20 team but with less batsman.

Bro its not Indian team...its Gautam Gambhir. He is a shameless individual who has made mockery of our test team.

I have stopped following Indian test cricket ever since Gambhir took charge.

 

[CricVet]

Probably because they are overconfident.

They need to realize they no longer have Kohli, Rohit, Ashwin, and Pujara to bail them out.

I think they are now a mid-tier Test team.

They are mid only because Chucking is legal for special needs team

 

[jnaveen1980]

Seems like according to khotak the batting coach India wanted to negate toss advantage as they don't win any toss these days. So they wanted slight turn on first day so that they don't see someone posting 500 only to see themselves crumbling for 200 on day 3. That slight turn turned into massive turn on day 2 due to lack of watering. WIth a batsman less India's plan came apart.

 

[sweep_shot]

They are mid only because Chucking is legal for special needs team

LOL.

They are now #4 in ICC Test ranking.

If SA whitewash them, they may become #5. I can see them going outside of top 5 in Test.

 

[AZulfi]

How good is Sarfaraz Khan? Vikram Gupta mentioned his name on his YouTube channel. I know he has scored 150 vs New Zealand. Can he come back given some of the current batsmen lack test temperament.

 

[jnaveen1980]

How good is Sarfaraz Khan? Vikram Gupta mentioned his name on his YouTube channel. I know he has scored 150 vs New Zealand. Can he come back given some of the current batsmen lack test temperament.

He is not such a batsman. His first class strike rate is 70. He always takes singles and looks for boundaries. SHreyas Iyer would be a good choice. But due to problem between Gambhir and Shreyas they are sidelining him in 2 formats.

 

[BouncerGuy]

India going with same type of pitch as it was in 1st test.???

@Devadwal #haihimmat?

 

[harshjoshi87]

He is not such a batsman. His first class strike rate is 70. He always takes singles and looks for boundaries. SHreyas Iyer would be a good choice. But due to problem between Gambhir and Shreyas they are sidelining him in 2 formats.

Shreyas has taken a break from red ball cricket for 6 months due to back issues, but I agree he should have been in the test as well as the T20I team.

 

[harshjoshi87]

India going with same type of pitch as it was in 1st test.???

@Devadwal #haihimmat?

Devadwal ka toh pata nahi per hamare coach sahab mai hai himmat. We should get another square turner at Guwahati if egoistic Gambhir gets his way again.

 

[Ab Fan]

Gambhir doesn’t know how and what to speak to the world. He talks like a young cricketer and not a head coach.

As an example- ‘This is exactly the kind of pitch we wanted’.

And you say this after losing a test match. Do defense for your batsmen.

 

[harshjoshi87]

LOL.

They are now #4 in ICC Test ranking.

If SA whitewash them, they may become #5. I can see them going outside of top 5 in Test.

View attachment 159536

Keep dreaming, won't happen in your lifetime

 

[Bewal Express]

Bro its not Indian team...its Gautam Gambhir. He is a shameless individual who has made mockery of our test team.

I have stopped following Indian test cricket ever since Gambhir took charge.

I meant to say no shape. The Inds seem very confused

 

[BouncerGuy]

Ponting backs India’s stand-in captain Pant for Guwahati Test

Rishabh Pant will be at the helm of the Test team for the first time, in the absence of the team’s mainstay and captain, Shubman Gill.

India will be captained by Rishabh Pant for the deciding Test against South Africa in Guwahati, after the hosts faced a 30-run defeat in the opening Test at Eden Gardens.

Shubman Gill, who was ruled out of the series due to a neck injury, was retired hurt in the first innings in Kolkata and did not come out to bat in the second innings.

Currently 1-0 up, if South Africa end up winning the series 2-0, they will secure the second position in the World Test Championship points table just behind Australia. On the other hand, India will move to the third place if they manage to win the deciding Test and draw the series 1-1.

With the hosts failing to chase down low targets and an unsettled XI marred by injuries and inexperience, stand-in skipper Pant will have his task cut out to level the series, which will prove pivotal in India’s ICC World Test Championship 2027 campaign.

ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting, who has worked closely with Pant in the Indian Premier League (IPL), feels the keeper-batter’s experience will come into play in his role as a skipper.

“It's never easy to come in and fill in for someone as a stopgap captain, especially when you've just lost a Test match a few days before,” Ponting said, speaking to Sanjana Ganesan, in the latest edition of the ICC Review.

“Rishabh is a reasonably experienced Test match player now though as well. I think being a wicket keeper probably helps to see the way that the game is evolving and what's happening in the game.

“He has done at IPL level now for the last few years, obviously done it in Delhi (Capitals) before that. I think he'll handle it fine.”

Pant and Ponting shared a captain-coach relationship in the Delhi Capitals franchise before the former moved on to Lucknow Super Giants and the latter to Punjab Kings.

Though Pant has abundant experience of leading teams in white-ball cricket, this will be the first time the 28-year-old will be donning the captain’s hat for the Test side.

“It will be interesting to see how he plays as captain if he changes his style of play as captain, as a batter anyway,” Ponting observed.

“I think he'll handle the occasion fine. I think the one thing that's probably not spoken about enough with these so-called younger Indian players now is that when they take the step up to playing for India in a Test match or even leading their team, because they get that great experience from the IPL.

“The IPL is probably almost as big as a Test match for a lot of these guys because of the crowds and the scrutiny that comes in an IPL game.

“I think the modern players are a bit more ready for that and a bit for those leadership roles and the enormity of the situation than they might have been 15 years ago. So I think Rishabh will handle it fine.”

Apart from missing out on Gill’s captaincy, India will also be without their premium number four batter, who was the highest run-getter in the recent England Test series.

The second Test begins on 22 November at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.

ICC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Rabada status confirmed for India series decider

The Proteas have issued an update on the pace spearhead who missed out on the first Test in Kolkata.

South Africa have ruled out Kagiso Rabada for the second Test against India in Guwahati.

The pace spearhead had missed the opening Test match in Kolkata after sustaining a rib-bone stress injury in the buildup.

The injury has been closely monitored by the Proteas medical team, and due to ongoing discomfort in the affected area, Rabada has been withdrawn from the remainder of the tour.

The visitors, leading 1-0 in the two-match series, had earlier confirmed Lungi Ngidi's inclusion in the squad to bolster their pace battery.

Making crucial gains in the WTC standings, the defending champions had notched their first-ever Test win in India since 2010 to gain advantage in Kolkata.

Missing out on a couple of big names in their pace battery, Simon Harmer and Marco Jansen had stepped up for the Proteas with the ball. The duo notched a total of 13 wickets between each other in a memorable 30-run win.

Having drawn their Test series in Pakistan, the ICC World Test Championship mace holders currently sit second in the nine-team standings, just below Australia - the opposition they faced in this year's WTC Final at Lord's.

Meanwhile, India have injury woes of their own as Test captain Shubman Gill is confirmed to miss the second Test in Guwahati starting Saturday, November 22.

ICC