Rabada’s Status Unclear as IND vs SA 2nd Test Approaches

Pacer Kagiso Rabada was noticeably absent during South Africa’s initial training session in Guwahati ahead of the second Test against India, scheduled to begin on Saturday. Rabada missed South Africa’s victory in the series opener in Kolkata due to a rib injury sustained during a training session before the Test.

South African bowling coach Piet Botha confirmed that the team would wait another day before deciding whether Rabada would participate in the Guwahati Test. “Rabada is still under observation by the medical staff. He obviously hasn’t practiced today. We will take a call in the next 24 hours,” Botha stated at a media interaction on Thursday following the team’s outdoor net practice.

The Barsapara Stadium pitch featured red soil with a significant layer of grass and was heavily watered on Thursday afternoon. “[We] had a look at it this morning. Still two days out, so it’s difficult to predict if they’re going to actually cut more grass or not. That will obviously make a difference. What we heard is that it tends to be a good batting wicket upfront, and it becomes a spinning wicket later on in the game. But we’ll have to wait and see. Maybe it spins earlier, like the previous test turned out to be,” said Botha.

Additionally, the Test will be the first in North-East India, starting at 9 am to account for the early sunset in the region. The match will feature an unusual schedule, with Tea being taken before Lunch. Botha suggested that the early start might provide pacers a chance to make an impact. “It is interesting. It’s the first time in my career that I am having Tea first. The game’s starting at 9 o’clock. I thought it would be cooler. But obviously, there would be a little bit more moisture. I think, in the first hour, the new ball should play a role. For how long, we’re not sure. We’ll have to see. So, for us, it’s just about playing each session on its own and not thinking too far ahead,” said Botha.

The South African coach also indicated a preference for batting first in Test matches, as they did in Kolkata. “Generally, over a five-day Test match, you would tend to want to bat first and try and get runs on the board. But as India mentioned, if the ball starts spinning from day one, sometimes it doesn’t really play a role because it becomes a low-scoring game like the last one. And then, batting first or second doesn’t play as big a role. But if the pitch is going to play decently the first two days, then you obviously want to bat first. Hopefully, then the wicket does crumble a bit and spin later on. And that’s the reason you will want to bat first. So I think in principle, 90 percent of the time you’ll look to bat first,” Botha concluded.

Published on Nov 20, 2025.