Kuldeep Yadav Describes Guwahati Pitch As “Road” After South Africa’s 489

Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav characterized the Guwahati pitch as a “road” after South Africa posted 489 on day two of the second Test.

South Africa compiled a substantial first-innings total of 489 on a batting-friendly surface at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium. India reached 9/0 at stumps on day two, trailing by 480 runs after Marco Jansen’s explosive 93-run innings lifted the visitors.

Indian wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who returned figures of 4/115 from 29.1 overs, compared the unresponsive pitch to a highway. He acknowledged the challenging conditions for bowlers throughout the day’s play.

Kuldeep’s Assessment of Pitch Conditions

“I think it’s clear that Kolkata’s wicket was different, and this was a road,” pointed out Kuldeep, with a laugh, at the media interaction after Day 2.

The spinner noted the surface offered minimal assistance after the initial morning session. “I felt yesterday, the first session, there was a bit of moisture in the wicket, so I got a little bit of turn there. Today was much better for batting. I hardly got any turn. [Ravindra] Jadeja and I have been talking about how the wicket was very good to bat on,” said Kuldeep.

Yadav praised South Africa’s lower-order batting, particularly Jansen’s 91-ball 93 and Senuran Muthusamy’s maiden Test century. He emphasized the bowling group maintained discipline despite the unhelpful conditions.

“We knew that this was not a track where they’re going to roll out very easily. And obviously, we knew that we had to be very disciplined with our bowling length and line. We tried, but yeah, as everyone knows, Jansen and Muthuswamy batted well,” Kuldeep said.

The 30-year-old reflected on the challenges of bowling on flat pitches, viewing them as learning experiences. “It’s challenging. That’s why we call it Test cricket. Not every day will be yours. As a bowler, you always want to dominate. But when you get a good wicket, it’s also important how you make a comeback.”

Looking ahead to India’s batting approach, Kuldeep stressed the importance of session-by-session progression. “We have to bat really well tomorrow, and then we’ll see. Every session is very important. We’ll take it session by session. As of now, we’re not thinking too much about day four or day five,” he said.

He suggested that batting for five sessions could position India favorably in the match. “You have to bat well, and if you bat for five sessions, we will be in a good position to decide what to do next,” Kuldeep concluded.