Guwahati is a good wicket to bat on. The ball didn’t do much, and it was really hard work for the bowlers. That’s where Kuldeep Yadav stood up and made a difference for India, and that’s what we have been harping on for a while. India don’t need wickets that spin from day one. On such decks, a mediocre spinner can appear to be in the same class as Kuldeep, and Kuldeep, in turn, is rendered ineffective. If the wicket is already doing a lot, the bowler’s skill isn’t really needed. That’s why you don’t need such tracks on home soil. You need good batting wickets where the bowlers’ skills come into play and help make a difference. That’s exactly what happened in Guwahati on day one.
Yet again, South Africa started really well, and taking advantage of the dropped chance, they had scored 82 without loss when Jasprit Bumrah struck. Despite the one wicket, it was South Africa’s session going into tea. India needed a wicket early after lunch, and Kuldeep was the man to turn to. It was a good delivery—flight, slight turn, and the edge. Rishabh Pant managed to stay low and grab a sharp chance to get rid of Ryan Rickelton, and that’s where the match started to even out.
South Africa managed to stitch together another 80-plus stand for the third wicket, and just when it seemed they could gain a decisive advantage, India struck again. After the Temba Bavuma wicket, it was all India. Kuldeep tempted the set Tristan Stubbs into the drive, and this time KL Rahul didn’t mess it up. Once again, it was good bowling. He persisted, bowled slightly wider, and induced the edge. That’s what it’s about: fine bowling on good decks. Left-arm wrist spin is a disappearing art, and Kuldeep is a rare breed.
With Stubbs gone, India sensed they had a chance. Wiaan Mulder was trying to stay positive and play his shots, and Kuldeep lured him into the expansive drive to hole out at mid-off. He had his third, and India were firmly in the game. To say that the South Africans made mistakes is to deny Kuldeep the credit he deserves. He doesn’t give too many loose balls, and if there is one, it inevitably tempts the batter into a big shot. That’s where he creates chances even with the not-so-good balls. On tracks that do a lot more, his skill in bowling good balls is rendered null and void—and that only helps the opposition.
With the second new ball just taken, India will want to close out the South Africa innings for no more than 325, and then bat big in their first innings. This is a wicket where a batter can dig in and score heavily, and if India manage to do that, they’ll have set up the game. Day one was the perfect example of why you need good batting decks at home to use the home advantage—and hopefully India will continue to do so going forward, instead of challenging their own batters, who don’t play spin that well anymore. Also, we don’t need two-day Tests—whether in Kolkata, Perth, or anywhere else—and Guwahati promises to buck that trend.
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