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"Very different to Kolkata": RCB mentor gives verdict on Guwahati pitch for IND vs SA Test

Harsh Adwani

Dinesh Karthik on Guwahatai pitch [Source: @DineshKarthik/@x.com]Dinesh Karthik on Guwahatai pitch [Source: @DineshKarthik/@x.com]

The wicket in Kolkata was a huge topic of discussion during the first Test match of the ongoing series between India and South Africa. Not many runs were scored in the game, and it ended on the third day. The action has now moved to Guwahati for the second Test.

The Barsapara Stadium is hosting its first-ever Test match, and the nature of the wicket is not widely known. Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has now analysed the wicket, and he expects this game to be very different from Kolkata.

Just an hour before the match got underway, the wicketkeeper-batter shared an image of the 22 yards, revealing that it had a decent amount of grass coverage and said that the first hour would be challenging to tackle.

“Decent amount of grass on a red soil pitch. Going to be a challenging first hour and a very different test match to Kolkata for sure,” Karthik tweeted.

South Africa are 1-0 ahead in the series

Meanwhile, India failed to chase down 124 runs in the first Test. The wicket offered a lot of turn, and the bounce was very uneven, making life harder for the batsmen. However, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir admitted that they had requested a turning wicket and that the batsmen were to be blamed for not settling down in those conditions.

To make things worse, skipper Shubman Gill had to miss out on the match midway through after suffering a neck injury. He came out to bat in the first innings but only faced three balls and did not take the field for the rest of the game. Rishabh Pant took on the captaincy after that.

The Guwahati Test is expected to be a high-scoring game from the early looks of the wicket. South Africa won the toss and decided to bat first. India will aim to improve their performance in this match to level the series.