• Proteas 'buoyant' despite Rabada setback

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    Proteas captain Temba Bavuma struck a confident tone despite seeing fast bowler Kagiso Rabada ruled out of the second and final Test against India in Guwahati.

    The Test world champions won the first match and are chasing a first series win on Indian soil since Hansie Cronje’s team triumphed there in 2000.

    They must again do without Rabada, who also missed the victory in Kolkata with a rib injury.

    “Lungi Ngidi has been added. In terms of starting XI we will finalise that tomorrow once we take one last look at the wicket,” Bavuma said on Friday.

    The tourists won a low-scoring opener at Eden Gardens inside three days after they bundled out India for 93 while chasing 124.

    “The mood is buoyant among the boys,” Bavuma said. “We’re excited to try and replicate our performances as we did in the first Test.

    “Everyone is looking forward to it, looking at where the series is at, the whole narrative around it all.

    “We’ll just try and make sure that we lock in for the next five days.”

    South Africa beat India at their own game of spin in Kolkata on a turning pitch with uneven bounce.

    Pundits slammed the track, where Proteas spinner Simon Harmer returned match figures of 8-51.

    Bavuma made a best individual score of 55.

    “I think it will be a more traditional sub-continent wicket,” Bavuma said of the Guwahati strip. “Good for batting the first two days and then day three the spinners should come into play.

    “So I think all the fundamentals that come with playing in the sub-continent, first innings becomes crucial from a batting point of view to really set the game up.”

    South Africa beat Australia to win the World Test Championship final in June at Lord’s and recently drew 1-1 in Pakistan.

    Bavuma said a two-match series is not ideal in a bilateral contest.

    “Look, however way the series goes, 1-1, 2-0, you know, it would be nice for a three-four match series against a formidable team like India,” said Bavuma.

    “We woke up this morning to watch the Ashes and we watched with a little bit of jealousy knowing that they were five Tests they’ll be going at each other.”

    MORE: Proteas chase history in India, Gambhir feels the heat

    Bavuma has an unbeaten record as Test captain in 11 outings, winning 10 and drawing one.

    Play in Guwahati at India’s newest Test venue will start at 9am (5:30am SA time) because of early sunsets, with the order of the session breaks reversed – meaning tea will be before lunch.

    Bavuma said the swap in order of breaks “really doesn’t change much from a cricketing point of view”.

    Photo: @ProteasMenCSA/X

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    Simon Borchardt