Indian skipper Shubman Gill, struggling with a neck spasm, has been released ahead of the Guwahati Test from the Indian squad, and instead, the vice-captain, Rishabh Pant, has been named as the stand-in skipper of the Indian team.
India lost the opening Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens within the first three days of play. After the loss, a lot of blame was put upon the surface however, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir revealed that was what they had asked for.
With Eden offering unconventionality, Guwahati is expected to roll out a redder soil patch, which will likely offer greater pace and bounce. Hence, the spinners are likely to be the most important players for both teams in contention.