Proteas eye historic Test series win in India

Having knocked off one piece of history in Kolkata, Temba Bavuma’s Proteas are strapping up to punch out another by attempting to become the first South African side in 25 years to win a Test series in India.

Generations was the most watched TV show, and Danny K was still a chart-topper when South Africa won both Tests in a shortened series in March 2000. Nicky Bojé won player of the match — for scoring 83 as nightwatchman and taking a five-wicket haul in an innings — and a 71-run victory in Bangalore against an Indian team led by Sachin Tendulkar for the last time.

The second Test starting in Guwahati on Saturday presents Bavuma and Co with the best chance a Proteas team has had to win a series since Graeme Smith’s team took a 1-0 lead to Kolkata in 2010. Poor batting proved costly then, but that was also a superior India team to the one SA will face in the northeastern city.

India go into the match still concerned about the fitness of their captain, Shubman Gill, who faced only three balls in Kolkata and was ruled out of the remainder of that Test with neck spasms.

He did not practise on Thursday, and according to India’s batting coach, Situnsha Kotak, a decision on this year’s leading Test run-scorer’s availability will be made on Friday.

“The physios and doctors have to decide whether, even if he is fully recovered, there’s a chance of the spasm recurring during the match. That is very important. If there is a doubt, then I am sure he will rest for one more game because it won’t help the team otherwise,” said Kotak.

India has the resources to fill that spot even if candidates such as Sai Sudharsan, Nitesh Kumar Reddy and Devdutt Padikkal aren’t as consistently prodigious as Gill.

But India’s ability to halt South Africa’s historic chase depends on the kind of pitch that will be prepared at the 40,000-seat Barsapara Stadium. After the fallout following last weekend’s 30-run defeat on a Kolkata strip that broke up too early and spun too much, a glut of former players have called for a better balanced surface at a venue that is hosting a Test match for the first time.

The Proteas don’t know yet what to make of it, according to bowling coach Piet Botha. “We’ve heard that this [venue] tends to be a good batting wicket up front, and spins later. We’ll wait and see. Maybe it spins earlier like the previous Test,” said Botha.

There was reportedly still a healthy grass covering on the surface when the Proteas practised on Thursday morning, but Botha was none the wiser about whether it would be cut, how much would be cut or if it would be left alone entirely.

It may be that India will want to keep an eye on Kagiso Rabada’s fitness after he missed the Eden Gardens Test with a rib injury. Rabada did not train on Thursday either, and the Proteas medical staff will make a call on his availability on Friday.

Lungi Ngidi has been called up to the squad as cover, but if Rabada isn’t available, the Indians will feel they have an edge in the shape of Jasprit Bumrah and Muhammad Siraj. They did not take sufficient advantage of that in Kolkata, where the surface allowed SA’s two spinners Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer to have a big impact.

Amid the euphoria at Eden Gardens, the Proteas knew there was still much room for improvement. Despite the tricky pitch conditions, various batters will be aware they gave their wickets away across the two innings, and even though he picked up five wickets in the match, Marco Jansen did not have enough deliveries hitting the stumps.

The Proteas wouldn’t mind if Guwahati’s pitch is more consistent than Kolkata’s — not a difficult challenge — and that there is more bounce as some locals have forecast, as those are conditions they’re more familiar with.

It would make the task of securing a slice of history seem more achievable, which would go a long way towards making Bavuma’s team one of the great Proteas groups yet.