India vs South Africa: Ten Doeschate Praises Guwahati Pitch as SA Reach 247/6

India coach Ryan ten Doeschate said the Guwahati pitch offers a much tougher, more traditional Test challenge than Kolkata, with the result still depending on how well both teams play.

In the ongoing India vs South Africa Test series, India viewed the Guwahati surface as a stronger Test-match challenge compared to the Eden Gardens pitch, which had broken up from day two. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate felt the track demanded patience and discipline, stressing that the result would come down to how well each side handled key moments rather than the conditions.

South Africa ended day one on 247 for six, with several batters getting in before falling without converting. Ten Doeschate noted that the pitch made scoring tough and expected both teams to grind through the next few days. He also felt the conditions suited India’s balance of two fast bowlers, a pace-bowling all-rounder, and three spinners.

“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. But having said that, you’ve got to introspect and look at recent results. These sorts of wickets may do suit us a little bit better,” ten Doeschate said.

“The template for us is probably closer to this than playing on some of the wickets we have played on. You’ve got to be prepared to fight really hard, and this game is going to go deep. Make sure you stay in the game,” he added.

Coach Says Late-Game Conditions Could Test Batters Further

Ryan ten Doeschate also considered the Guwahati pitch an upgrade from the Kolkata surface, which had broken down early and dominated the first Test. He expects the game to revolve around strong first-innings totals, as the surface could become tougher as the match progressed.

“I thought it’s a massive contrast from the Kolkata pitch, for one thing. We were expecting a better wicket. I thought it was pretty lifeless. But I’ve just heard Tristan Stubbs say that it was quite hard to score as well. I think it was just good old-fashioned attritional test cricket,” he said.

“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,” the coach concluded.