Rabada’s Status to be Confirmed Soon
Piet Botha, the bowling coach for South Africa, announced that the team will determine Kagiso Rabada’s participation in the upcoming second Test against India just before the match. Rabada missed the Kolkata Test victory due to a rib injury sustained during practice and was also absent from Thursday’s training session on November 20. Currently, South Africa, under the captaincy of Temba Bavuma, is leading the two-match series 1-0 following a remarkable win in Kolkata, which concluded in just three days.
Medical Evaluation for Rabada
During the pre-match press briefing, Botha indicated that Rabada is being closely monitored by the medical team, and a decision regarding his fitness will be made within the next 24 hours. He stated, “Rabada is still under observation by our medical staff. He was not present in practice today, but a decision will be reached soon.”
Insights on the Guwahati Pitch
Botha also shared his thoughts on the pitch conditions in Guwahati. The Eden Gardens pitch presented challenges for batters, with Temba Bavuma’s fifty being the only notable score in the match. He remarked that it is premature to assess the Guwahati wicket, as conditions may evolve based on the amount of grass trimmed. Typically, the pitch starts as a solid batting surface before transitioning to a spin-friendly track later in the game. Botha noted, “I inspected the pitch this morning. With two days to go, it’s hard to predict if they will cut more grass. This will certainly impact the game. However, we have heard it usually begins as a good batting wicket and turns into a spinning wicket as the match progresses. We will have to wait and see if it spins earlier, similar to the last Test.”
