IND vs SA second Test: South Africa elects to bat; Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy in playing XI

By Admin

22 Nov, 2025

The second Test between India and South Africa in Guwahati began with a decisive call from South African skipper Temba Bavuma, who won the toss and elected to bat on Saturday, November 22, 2025. Coming into the match with a 1-0 lead, South Africa carry strong momentum after their 30-run victory in the first Test in Kolkata.

India faced a major setback ahead of the contest as Shubman Gill, who led the team in the first Test, was ruled out due to a neck injury sustained during the Kolkata match. In his absence, Rishabh Pant stepped in as India’s captain, marking an important leadership shift at a crucial stage in the series.

India made two additional changes to their lineup. Young talents B Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Kumar Reddy were drafted into the playing XI, replacing Shubman Gill and Axar Patel. Their inclusion signals India’s intent to strengthen both batting depth and all-round options as they aim to level the two-match series.

South Africa, meanwhile, made one change to their squad. Senuran Muthusamy replaced Corbin Bosch, adding another spin option to complement their balanced attack. With conditions in Guwahati expected to assist both seam and spin, South Africa’s decision to bat first highlights their confidence in building a strong first-innings total.

The match promises high-intensity cricket as India look for redemption while South Africa aim to seal the series.

Teams:

India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, B Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj.