South Africa's star bowler opens up about pitch conditions in Guwahati amidst 2nd Test vs IND
South Africa’s Marco Jansen shares his views on the Guwahati pitch during the 2nd Test vs India, highlighting its challenges for both bowlers and batters.
Last Updated: 05.32 PM, Nov 24, 2025
South Africa's star bowler Marco Jansen was the best bowler in the second Test match against India, claiming 6 wickets and dominating the batters throughout. Apart from Jansen, Simon Harmer also claimed 3 wickets. India could only manage to score 201 runs in the first innings. South Africa did not enforce the follow-on and batted again.
Jansen Spoke about the pitch conditions and said that it had a lot of pace and bounds and a bit of swing as well. The South African players utilized the pitch conditions and converted them in their favor, unlike the Indian lineup.
Jansen not only helped South Africa with the ball, but he also supported them with the bats, scoring 93 runs. He did miss the century by 7 runs but was brilliant with the ball. He mentioned that he wants to become like Shaun Pollock and contribute both with the bat and the ball.
“There’s obviously nice pace and bounce in the wicket. Not a lot of nip or swing, a little bit here at the end. Once we saw there was a bit of bounce and better pace in the wicket, we tried to utilize that. (Contributing in all departments) I just want to be like you, Shaun. Obviously a good day for the chaps and for myself in particular. But yeah, I feel the spinners did a really good job when the ball wasn’t moving as much and there was a dead period at some stage. I really feel the spinners did a brilliant job and I’m just lucky to be the one who cashed in. Who said we didn’t fight hard? Like I said, there was a bit of pace and bounce in the wicket, which was nice. We did think we were probably going to field, or we were preparing to field, for at least two days. The boys did a really good job today,” said Marco Jansen after the match.
What will happen if India lose 2nd Test vs South Africa?
Guwahati might be hosting the first Test match, but the two teams have played tons of games before. India failing to read the pitch again seems like a major concern. As Marco Jansen mentioned, the pitch is favoring the bowlers. However, when South Africa batted in the first innings, things looked quite different.
With the way the Indian players have performed, the dream of playing in the WTC finals is slipping away. The Indian team is on the verge of losing the second match and is likely to see a drop in the WTC points table as well. After losing the first game, they went down from the third to the fourth position.
However, this time the PCT will decrease, which will affect the road to the WTC final. This game was crucial because India will not play any home series until 2027, which means they’ll have to win in foreign lands. With the kind of team they have currently, it will be extremely difficult to qualify for the WTC final.
How to watch India vs South Africa, 2nd Test?
Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs South Africa, 2nd Test on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.