BCCI Asks for Fair Guwahati Pitch with Pace and Bounce for 2nd Test vs South Africa

After the criticism of the Eden Gardens pitch, the Indian team has asked for a proper, fair pitch in Guwahati. With the India vs South Africa 2nd Test starting on November 22 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, the Guwahati pitch is expected to have good pace and bounce.

According to the Times of India, a red-soil pitch will be used in Guwahati. Red soil gives steady bounce and doesn’t break early like the black-soil pitch in Kolkata, so spin will come in later. The Indian team has told curator Ashish Bhowmick what kind of pitch they want. Since this is Guwahati’s first Test, the board doesn’t want it to be called a rank turner. That’s why they are preparing a pitch with good pace and bounce for the 2nd Test against South Africa.

Guwahati to Use Red-Soil Surface for 2nd Test

If the ball spins in Guwahati, it will do it with some pace and bounce. This may still be tough for the Indian batters, but it’s better than what happened in Kolkata. The BCCI also wants to make sure the pitch doesn’t give uneven bounce from the first day. In India, pitches normally start breaking down around day three, and that’s when batters face problems. But at Eden Gardens, the pitch went bad much earlier. The board doesn’t want that to happen again in Guwahati.

A BCCI source told the Times of India that the Guwahati pitch is made of red soil, which naturally gives more pace and bounce. The source said, “The pitch here is made of red soil, which gives more pace and bounce. So if it turns, it will turn at pace and bounce. The curators are also trying to make sure there is no big variable bounce.” The Indian team had already made their pitch needs clear before the home season.

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Shubman Gill Injury Update: Gill Travels With Team; Nitish Kumar Reddy Returns Ahead of Guwahati Test Shubman Gill will travel with the team to Guwahati, but he will only play the second Test if he is fully fit.

by Shekhar November 19, 2025