India spinner Kuldeep Yadav offered a blunt assessment of the Barsapara Stadium surface after South Africa stretched their first-innings total to 489 on a pitch that offered little assistance to the bowlers on Day 2 of the second Test. Reflecting on how the innings unfolded, Kuldeep highlighted the challenge of setting fields and trying to force errors on a surface that only grew easier for batting as the match progressed. “Setting up the field was very important and I think we did really well, but when they put a good total on the board and they tried to go hard on us and they were very lucky in that way, but when the wicket is good to bat on.. we actually tried to beat them in the air, and they connected really well. Marco Jansen and Senuran Muthusamy batted realy well. In the first session, the wicketkeeper (Kyle Verreynne) and Muthusamy were very good,” Kuldeep said. His frustration with the surface became clearer when comparing it to Kolkata, where bowlers found far more assistance. “Kolkata ka wicket toh alag thaa. Yeh to pura road tha… So it’s challenging and that’s why it’s called a Test wicket,” he remarked with sarcasm during the post-day interaction. (The wicket in Kolkata was different. This was like a road). Kuldeep finished with 4 for 115, the best figures by an Indian bowler, but admitted that help from the pitch disappeared quickly. He noted that only the opening session on Day 1 offered any movement due to moisture, after which the surface turned into one favouring long stays at the crease. “It was a difficult wicket for the bowlers because I didn’t feel that there was a lot of help in this wicket,” he said, adding that both fast bowlers and spinners had to work hard for breakthroughs.
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“I mean for that I have to be the captain,” he joked, before adding, “I am very happy with whatever number I bowled… 30 overs is good for any wrist spinner.” India ended the day at 9 for 0 in 6.1 overs, still 480 runs behind, with three days left to script a response on a surface offering little to their bowlers so far.
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