Rabada's fitness call likely to be made on eve of Guwahati Test: SA bowling coach

South Africa's bowling coach said that the final decision on Kagiso Rabada's fitness will likely be made on the eve of the upcoming Test match in Guwahati. Rabada, a key figure in South Africa's pace attack, is being monitored closely as the team assesses whether he has recovered enough to play.

South Africa's bowling coach Piet Botha said that the team will decide on Kagiso Rabada's availability for the second India vs South Africa Test on the eve of the match. Rabada sat out the Kolkata Test win after suffering a rib injury during a training session, and he also missed practice on Thursday, November 20. South Africa, led by Temba Bavuma, leads the two-match series 1-0 after an impressive win in Kolkata, a match wrapped up within three days. The second match will take place at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati from Saturday.

Speaking at the pre-match conference, the Proteas bowling coach said Rabada is under medical observation and that a decision on his availability will be made within the next 24 hours. "Rabada is still being monitored by our medical staff. It obviously wasn't in practise today, but they'll make a call in the next 24 hours," he said.

The Eden Gardens pitch, with variable bounce for both spinners and pacers alike, was tough for the batters, with Temba Bavuma's fifty being the only half-century of the entire match. Speaking about the Guwahati wicket, Botha said it's too early to judge the pitch, noting that conditions may change depending on how much grass is removed. He added that it usually starts as a good batting surface before offering spin later, though it could turn earlier like the previous Test.

"As far as the pitch is concerned, obviously I had a look at it this morning. It's still two days out, so it's difficult to predict if they're going to actually cut more grass off or not. That will obviously make a difference.But what we heard is that it tends to be a good batting wicket up front, and here comes a spinning wicket later on in the game. But we'll have to wait and see. Maybe it spins earlier, like the previous test turned out to be," the South Africa coach said. (ANI)

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