Overview
- New Delhi was dropped over air‑quality concerns, and the Guwahati Test will start at 9 a.m. with adjusted breaks to maximize daylight, the BCCI confirmed.
- Temba Bavuma completed fitness drills in Kolkata and is expected to return to captain South Africa in the opener at Eden Gardens.
- Analysts say surviving Jasprit Bumrah early and how Kagiso Rabada sets the tone could shape the match before spinners come into play.
- Former captains Graeme Smith and Faf du Plessis urged South Africa to start well, warning that losing the first Test often derails subcontinent tours.
- Shukri Conrad called Bavuma the team’s best player and backed the spin trio of Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy after strong returns in Pakistan; Guwahati hosts its first men’s Test from November 22.