IND vs SA 2nd Test Guwahati Pitch Report: Fast Bowlers to Benefit from Half-Hour Early Start

India vs South Africa, 2nd Test Pitch Report: The second and final match of the two-match Test series between India and South Africa will be played in Guwahati from tomorrow, November 22. The Indian team will be looking to secure a victory at any cost in this match to be played at the Barsapara Stadium. On the other hand, after registering a historic 30-run victory in the Kolkata Test, South Africa will have their sights set on winning a Test series on Indian soil after 25 years.

Match to start half an hour earlier than usual

This will be the first time a Test match will be played in the Northeast. Barsapara Stadium, which will host the Test cricket, will become India's 30th ground. Due to India having a single time zone, daily routines here start much earlier than usual. In such a scenario, the match will also begin half an hour earlier than the usual time. Ranji Trophy matches in the Northeast are typically started at 8:15 AM because the day ends early here. Therefore, the India-South Africa encounter will commence at 9 AM.

This is the pitch in Guwahati

The pitch in Guwahati is generally flat, and a lot of runs are scored here. However, the cold mornings and the moisture present on the pitch can provide swing to the bowlers for a longer duration, leading to extra movement in the ball. Both teams have excellent fast bowlers. In such a situation, these conditions will be very tempting for the bowlers, while the top-order batsmen will find it difficult to spend the initial hours at the crease.

The sessions in the Guwahati Test will be as follows –

First Session – 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Tea Break – 11:00 AM - 11:20 AM
Second Session – 11:20 AM to 1:20 PM
Lunch Break – 1:20 PM - 2:00 PM
Third Session – 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

The ball will swing more compared to other grounds in the country

The movement from the pitch will depend on the kind of wicket the team management chooses. However, with the match starting 30 minutes earlier, the movement in the air will persist for a longer period compared to other grounds in the country, which could cause problems for the batsmen.

Record of this ground

Surprisingly, the average score in the first innings here is 225 runs. This drops to 180 in the second innings. Considering these statistics, the team winning the toss might opt to bat first, so that they do not have to bat in the fourth innings here.