With World Test Championship stakes high, the Men in Blue have little time to fine-tune their strategy.
Captain Gill Out, Sudharsan to Replace
India’s biggest concern is the injury to captain Shubman Gill, who suffered a neck sprain during the first Test and didn’t bat in the second innings. Gill traveled with the squad, but the management is taking no risks. Reports now confirm he is ruled out of the Guwahati Test.
In his absence, Sai Sudharsan is the likely replacement at number three. While his Test numbers are modest—273 runs in 9 innings at an average of 30.33 with 2 fifties—Sudharsan brings calmness and is known for his ability against spin, which could prove crucial against Simon Harmer, who troubled India in Kolkata. Washington Sundar, who batted at three in the first Test, is expected to move down to number four. Rishabh Pant will lead the side in Gill’s absence.
Axar Patel Out, Nitish Reddy In
India head coach Gautam Gambhir might make a bold call by dropping Axar Patel to include right-handed batter Nitish Reddy. In the first Test, a line-up heavy with left-handers played into Harmer’s hands. Axar’s impact with both bat and ball was limited—he bowled just 20 overs across two innings and scored only 52 runs, including a crucial dismissal in the second innings.
By bringing in Reddy, India aim to add variety to the batting line-up and counter Harmer’s spin threat.
Other Key Players
Jasprit Bumrah is expected to play, despite rumors he might miss the upcoming ODI series. Apart from the two changes, the rest of the team is likely to remain unchanged.
India’s Probable XI vs South Africa (2nd Test, Guwahati)
KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Rishabh Pant (c, wk), Nitish Reddy, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami
