Kuldeep Yadav on Guwahati Pitch: “Not About Dominance, But Adaptability in Test Cricket”

On a Guwahati pitch that was flattening out by the hour, South Africa shoved India on the back foot for the better part of two days. The Indian team had hoped to dismiss the visitors under 300 runs after taking six wickets for 247 on the opening day. But the South African lower-order batsmen rose magnificently to the occasion to post 489 runs in the first innings. India's left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who assessed the bowling conditions, said the Guwahati track reminded us that not every Test match is about dominance, but it's about persistence and adaptability. He further said that the Kolkata wicket was different. This one was completely road. So, it is testing and that is why it is called a Test wicket.

Regarding the Guwahati wicket, Kuldeep Yadav said that it is not always about dominance, but also how you recover from a good batting surface. It was a difficult wicket for the bowlers because I did not feel there was much help on this wicket. The lack of help was felt everywhere. Yansen and Muthusamy took advantage during their crucial partnership. Even India's pacers struggled to create opportunities when the shine went off and the pitch returned to its original form.

Kuldeep said that even for the fast bowlers, it did not seem to be a very helpful wicket, but this is Test cricket and you should enjoy it. You should learn more, and the more you mature, you should not think too much about the wicket. You should just go out there and play. There may be a better wicket in the next Test, so there are no complaints.

He gave a session-by-session breakdown of why India looked more dangerous at the start of Day 1 than Day 2. He said, "Personally, I liked the first session of Day 1. There was a little moisture in the wicket, so I got some turn in the first session. After that, it was very good for batting."

Once South Africa's lower order settled, that support vanished. Kuldeep concluded by saying there was no turn on either day. "Day 2 was much better for batting, as I barely got any turn. Jadeja and I are also discussing this." The task ahead for India is exactly what Kuldeep alluded to: not focusing on the nature of the surface, but finding a way to come back in a Test that already seems to be slipping away from them.