India's strategic approach to the Guwahati Test match yielded positive results on Saturday as South Africa struggled to 247 for six on the opening day after choosing to bat first at Barsapara Stadium.
Pitch Conditions Favor Indian Template
India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate expressed satisfaction with the playing surface, stating it aligns better with the team's current strategy compared to the previous match in Kolkata. The first-day track made scoring runs challenging, resulting in most Proteas top-order batsmen being dismissed after getting promising starts.
"My personal point of view is that the wicket very rarely determines who wins the game. If we'd played better in Kolkata, I feel we could have won the Test on that surface," Ten Doeschate commented during the post-day press conference on November 22, 2025.
He added, "But having said that, you've got to introspect and look at recent results. These sort of wickets maybe do suit us a little bit better. The template for us is probably closer to this than playing on some of the wickets we have played on."
Kuldeep Yadav Shines with Three Wickets
The day belonged to Kuldeep Yadav, who demonstrated exceptional bowling skills to claim three crucial wickets. The left-arm wrist-spinner's performance showcased his mastery over drift, dip, turn, and bounce, making him particularly effective on the red soil track.
Ten Doeschate explained Kuldeep's success: "We know Kuldeep's strike rate is phenomenal. But maybe the fact that he sort of gets overspin and with the red soil and a little bit more pace in the wicket, maybe he was slightly more effective in the conditions today."
The assistant coach also expressed confidence that finger spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar would become more influential as the match progresses.
Contrast from Kolkata Pitch
Ten Doeschate didn't hesitate to draw comparisons between the Guwahati surface and the one in Kolkata, describing the Barsapara Stadium track as "a massive contrast" and "pretty lifeless." He characterized the day's play as "good old-fashioned attritional test cricket" where batsmen found it difficult to score freely.
The Dutch-born coach emphasized the importance of first-innings runs, suggesting that batting could become increasingly challenging as the match advances. "Real hard toil and first-innings runs are going to be very important. And then hopefully a little bit late in the Test it becomes a bit tougher to bat on," he stated.
Looking ahead to India's batting innings, Ten Doeschate expressed hope that the pitch would remain consistent. "We just went to have a look at the pitch now. There's some foot marks and some tiny ball marks, but nothing to suggest it's dry or cracking at the top. So fingers crossed that it lasts and plays well for the next few days."
With South Africa finishing at 247/6 after their decision to bat first, India's bowling unit, particularly Kuldeep Yadav's three-wicket contribution, has positioned the home team favorably as they look to capitalize on the conditions that better suit their playing style.
