KG Rabada still a fitness concern as Proteas prepare for uncharted Guwahati Test conditions

The Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati has enjoyed a mixed bag of results for Proteas teams recently. 

It was where Laura Wolvaardt’s team were bundled out for 69 in their ICC Women’s World Cup opener before returning to exact revenge over the self-same England side in the semi-final to make history by becoming the first senior South African cricket team to reach a limited-overs World Cup final.

Temba Bavuma’s Proteas Men’s side will be chasing their own slice of history when the second Test gets underway on Saturday as they seek a first Test series win in India for 25 years. To achieve this feat, they would do well to give Proteas Women’s coach Mandla Mashimbyi a call regarding the conditions for they are still very much in the dark. 

“As far as the pitch is concerned, obviously we looked at it this morning (Thursday). It's still two days out, so it's difficult to predict if they're going to actually cut more grass off or not,” Proteas bowling coach Piet Botha said.

“It will obviously make a difference, but 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.”

Part of the unpredictability is caused by two major factors. Guwahati has never hosted a Test match before and due to the darkness setting in around 4:30pm in the afternoon already, the first ball will be bowled at 9am - half an hour earlier than at other Indian venues. The players will also take tea before lunch due to the earlier start.

Botha feels these time schedules will resemble a Test match back home at Kingsmead in Durban, and judging on those past experiences expects the pacers to gain appreciable movement upfront. 

“It's the first time in my career I'm going to have tea first, and then lunch,” Botha joked. “But with the game starting at 9 o'clock, I thought it would be cooler. It was quite hot at 9 o'clock.

“But obviously it will be a little bit more moisture, so I think in terms of the first hour, the new ball should play a role. For how long, we're not sure. We'll have to see.

“I know back home in Durban, we start at 9 o'clock, and sometimes the ball goes around for the first hour, and then it settles down.”

Due these expected seamer-friendly conditions the Proteas will be holding thumbs they will have ace fast bowler Kagiso Rabada back in the starting XI on Saturday morning. Rabada was ruled out of the Eden Gardens Test due to rib injury, and despite travelling with the squad to Guwahati, has yet to train with the team.

It therefore remains uncertain whether Rabada will indeed have a crack at India during this Test series. 

“Rabada is still being monitored by our medical staff,” Botha said. “He obviously wasn't at practice today, but we'll make a call in the next 24 hours.”