IND vs SA, 2nd Test: Rabada misses training session but not ruled out yet

Pacer Kagiso Rabada was a conspicuous absentee as South Africa had its first training session in Guwahati, ahead of the second Test against India, set to start on Saturday.

Rabada missed out on South Africa’s win in the series opener in Kolkata after having suffered a rib injury during a training session ahead of the Test.

South African bowling coach Piet Botha confirmed that the visiting team will wait for one more day before deciding on Rabada’s participation in the Guwahati Test.

“Rabada is still under observation by the medical staff. He obviously hasn’t practised today. We will take a call in the next 24 hours,” said Botha at a media interaction on Thursday after his team’s outdoor nets session.

The Barsapara Stadium surface appeared to be a red-soil one, with a generous coating of grass and was heavily watered on Thursday afternoon.

“[We] had a look at it this morning. Still two days out, so it’s difficult to predict if they’re going to actually cut more grass or not. That will obviously make a difference.

What we heard is that it tends to be a good batting wicket up front, and it becomes a spinning wicket later on in the game. But we’ll have to wait and see. Maybe it spins earlier, like the previous test turned out to be,” said Botha.

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The Test, which will be the first to happen in North-East India, will start at 9am, taking into account the early sunset in this part of the country. The match will also have the curious oddity of having Tea taken before Lunch.

The early start will likely give pacers a window to make an impact, as suggested by Botha.

“It is interesting. It’s the first time in my career that I am having Tea first. The game’s starting at 9 o’clock. I thought it would be cooler. But obviously, there would be a little bit more moisture.

“I think, in the first hour, the new ball should play a role. For how long, we’re not sure. We’ll have to see. So, for us, it’s just about playing each session on its own and not thinking too far ahead,” added Botha.

The South African coach also hinted that his team prefers to bat first in Test cricket, just like it did in Kolkata.

“Generally, over a five-day Test match, you would tend to want to bat first and try and get runs on the board. But as India mentioned, if the ball starts spinning from day one, sometimes it doesn’t really play a role because it becomes a low-scoring game like the last one. And then, batting first or second doesn’t play as big a role.

“But if the pitch is going to play decently the first two days, then you obviously want to bat first. Hopefully, then the wicket does crumble a bit and spin later on. And that’s the reason you will want to bat first. So I think in principle, 90 percent of the time you’ll look to bat first,” said Botha.

Published on Nov 20, 2025