Kuldeep Yadav Shines as India Fights Back in Day 1 vs South Africa

The second and final Test match between India and South Africa began on Saturday at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, northeast India. South Africa’s batting lineup showed resilience and steady performance, scoring 247 runs for six wickets by the close of play on day one. India fought back strongly with their spinners, especially Kuldeep Yadav, who took three important wickets to slow the visitors' progress.

Toss and Batting Conditions

South African captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to bat first on a pitch that had a good amount of grass cover but no cracks or obvious spots where the ball could bounce unpredictably. The pitch looked fresh and offered something for the bowlers early on but was expected to slow down as the game progressed.

Strong Opening Partnership

The visitors started well with openers Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickleton putting on 82 runs for the first wicket. Markram was steady and scored 38 runs before falling to a clever delivery from India’s pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, aided by a dropped catch at slip from KL Rahul. Rickleton contributed 35 runs and played with patience, but could not build on his start after the tea break.

Middle-Order Resistance

After the openers’ partnership ended, Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs steadied the innings by adding 84 runs for the third wicket. Bavuma was solid with 41 runs, playing a cautious and compact game to keep the scoreboard moving. Stubbs, on the other hand, was more aggressive, using his feet well against the Indian spinners and scoring 49 runs. Both batsmen, however, missed out on reaching the half-century mark.

India’s Spin Attack

India’s stand-in captain Rishabh Pant, leading the team in the absence of the injured Shubman Gill, brought spinners into the attack early. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav and off-spinner Washington Sundar bowled well to control the scoring rate. Kuldeep proved to be particularly effective, taking three wickets for 48 runs.

Kuldeep’s wickets included the key dismissals of Rickleton, Stubbs, and Wiaan Mulder, halting South Africa’s momentum in the final session. Ravindra Jadeja also made an important breakthrough by dismissing Bavuma.

Fast Bowling Support

In addition to the spin attack, India’s pace bowlers played their part. Jasprit Bumrah took the wicket of Markram, and Mohammed Siraj made a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Tony de Zorzi, who had scored 28 runs, just as fading light was causing play to be stopped for the day.

Unusual Break Schedule

This Test match is unique in its scheduling, with the tea break coming before lunch due to early sunrise and fast-fading light in northeast India. This change was introduced for the first time at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium to adapt to local conditions.

South Africa ended day one at 247 runs for six wickets, aiming to push their total beyond 300 runs to put pressure on the Indian batting lineup. India’s bowlers, led by Kuldeep Yadav’s spin wizardry, will look to continue their fightback and take more wickets early on day two.

The match is expected to be closely contested as India looks to bounce back after losing the first Test match inside three days on a spinning pitch in Kolkata.