'That's how he got out' - Former India cricketer opines on South Africa's playing methods in 2nd Test
A former India cricketer shares his views on South Africa’s tactics and playing approach in the 2nd Test, analysing key decisions and their impact on the match.
Last Updated: 12.27 PM, Nov 23, 2025
India take on South Africa in the second Test match in Guwahati. It was South Africa’s decision to bat first, and they have outplayed the Indian bowlers. As we write, the Proteas have lost just six wickets and continue to bat with good spirit and confidence. They are currently dominating the game with the bat, which is extremely embarrassing for the hosts.
Despite their brilliant batting, India’s former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin noticed the way the batters failed to play Kuldeep Yadav. He even mentioned incidents where Tristan Stubbs and others looked in good touch but failed to go after Kuldeep, which can be a positive takeaway for India.
“South African batters are not reading Kuldeep. They are trying to play him off the pitch. The way Tristan Stubbs batted, he was searching for the ball, played a defensive shot, and then thought that if the ball comes in, he will be bowled, or it might be a googly, and he could get beaten, so cover both sides, and that's how he got out,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
They will have to go beyond that: R. Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin also talked about the target South Africa will have in mind because 300-330 will not be sufficient. The way the match is going, it looks like the Proteas might get to more runs that it was expected. They are batting like they own the stadium and the Indian bowlers are the visitors. This isn’t a good sign for India.
“And Siraj’s last wicket, Tony de Zorzi’s, was a big wicket. Because if South Africa had finished at 260 for five, they would still have harbored hopes of one of the batsmen going on to make a big hundred. Till now, almost all South African batters have made 30s and 40s but haven’t capitalized. But you will see that when India gets in and starts batting well, one of their batsmen will go on to make a big score. So tomorrow, in the first session, India will also look to wrap them up, not give them a partnership. At the same time, South Africa cannot think 300-320 is a good score; they will have to go beyond that,” he added.
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