GUWAHTI – South Africa has doubled down on spin for the second Test against India, recalling spin-bowling all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy in place of seamer Corbin Bosch at the scenic Barsapara Cricket Stadium.
Captain Temba Bavuma, buoyed by a 30-run win in the rain-hit series opener at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, won the toss and chose to bat first on a surface expected to offer some early help to the quicks before turning into a friendlier stage for slow bowling.
The Proteas already lead the series 1-0, yet this dead rubber still carries World Test Championship points and plenty of pride, with India chasing a response under stand-in captain Rishabh Pant.
The ground, staging its first-ever Test, hummed with noise under a hazy, partly cloudy sky. Guwahati’s entry into Test cricket adds a layer of charm and curiosity to a contest already loaded with storylines. South Africa’s call to strengthen the spin unit with Senuran Muthusamy, alongside Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer, marks a clear shift in strategy.
Bosch, who impressed with his pace in Kolkata but went for runs on a flatter pitch, steps aside for Muthusamy’s left-arm orthodox control and handy batting down the order.
“We want to build solid partnerships and tire their bowlers early,” Bavuma said after the toss, looking over a lush outfield. “Sen knows these conditions and that experience should help us.”
From Breakthrough Debut to Subcontinent Specialist-in-Waiting
At 31, Senuran Muthusamy returns to the Test side with a story that matches the spirit of South African cricket: tough, adaptable, and often under the radar until something big is on the line. Born in Durban on 22 February 1994 to parents with roots in Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, he grew up in a home where cricket shared space with stories of family and heritage across the sea.
Educated at Clifton College in Durban, he managed to juggle his studies, later finishing a degree in media and marketing at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, with a serious push towards a professional cricket career.
“Cricket was more than a sport, it helped me connect both sides of who I am,” he once said, speaking about his Indian background that has earned him a soft spot among many supporters in India.
His arrival on the domestic scene came in style during the 2016-17 Sunfoil Series when he struck a commanding 181 against the Knights, a statement innings from the lower middle order. His left-arm spin, tidy and probing with decent pace through the air, soon became just as important. By 2018, coaches and selectors viewed him as South Africa’s main spin option in training camps, especially on tours to Asia.
His Test debut followed in October 2019 in India in a three-match series. In Visakhapatnam, he grabbed his moment by dismissing then India captain Virat Kohli, caught and bowled for 20, a dismissal still replayed in highlight reels. “That felt like something written in the stars,” he joked later, after the ball popped up and dropped safely into his hands.
Test cricket then reminded him how unforgiving it can be. Across seven caps, Muthusamy has scored 279 runs at an average of 47, including a gutsy 89 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi last month. His bowling numbers, 12 wickets at 35 each, reflect fewer chances in a side that has long favoured fast bowling.
He also debuted in T20Is against India in 2019 and has a few ODIs to his name, yet much of his progress has come in domestic competitions with the Dolphins and in the SA20 League. A first List A century in 2022, 100 from 106 balls against Western Province, underlined his growing value as a genuine all-rounder, mixing clean strokeplay with smart changes in pace with the ball.
His latest recall has nothing to do with sentiment and everything to do with conditions and balance. Left out in Kolkata, where Bosch’s pace caused brief problems for India, Senuran Muthusamyy now returns better seasoned and eager to prove a point. During the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s earlier this year, which South Africa won, he carried drinks but absorbed every minute of pressure and planning.
“On Indian pitches you need patience,” he said before the series began. “My job is to tie batsmen down and contribute runs when it matters.”
With Aiden Markram partnered by Ryan Rickelton at the top and Bavuma set to bat at five, Muthusamy fits in at eight, ready to counter India’s spin line-up of Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, with Axar Patel sitting out as Nitish Kumar Reddy comes in.
From Eden to the East: Kolkata Scars and Guwahati Hope
The opening Test in Kolkata felt like two different matches squeezed into one. South Africa’s first innings of 159 looked light, but Marco Jansen’s fiery 4 for 42 turned it into a strong total. Stop-start rain made life hard for both sides, yet India’s collapse for 93 in the fourth innings, their lowest score in several years, handed the Proteas a huge boost. On debut, Bosch picked up 3 for 28, using bounce to remove Shubman Gill and KL Rahul.
Conditions in Guwahati promised something different. Pitch curator Dibyajyoti Sharma described the surface as “fair for both sides but likely to help spinners after Day 2”, so raw pace alone was unlikely to shape the match. Bringing in Senuran Muthusamy gives Bavuma more control through the middle overs, particularly with Kagiso Rabada injured and Lungi Ngidi also unavailable.
India has responded with changes of their own. Pant, leading the Test side for the 38th time, a record for an Indian, has added B Sai Sudharsan for his timing and touch at the crease and brought in the powerful Reddy, leaving out Axar to deepen the batting.
“We are hungry,” Pant insisted, brushing off the disappointment of losing the toss with his usual swagger.
India’s XI, Jaiswal, Gill, Sudharsan, Rahul, Pant (captain and keeper), Reddy, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, and Mukesh Kumar, carries a mix of fresh faces and proven names, but the absence of Jasprit Bumrah stands out.
By tea on Day 1, South Africa were well placed at 120 for 2, with Markram cruising on an unbeaten 52. Muthusamy was still waiting for his turn in the pavilion, watching intently, itching to get involved. After the break, India fought back, Jadeja removing Tristan Stubbs for 28, but the tourists kept their composure.
Indian Fans’ Take: From “Our Sen” to Spin Threat
Among Indian fans, Senuran Muthusamy holds a special place that is hard to pin down, a mix of affection, shared roots, and sporting respect. His Tamil background, often mentioned in features before South Africa’s tours, has led to memes, banners, and chants calling him “Our Sen”, a playful nod to common South Indian surnames.
Social media lit up as news of his return broke. “The guy who got Kohli on debut? Legend!” wrote one fan from Kolkata on X, remembering that 2019 breakthrough wicket. The hashtag #SenuranReturns trended, with users like @CricketManiaInd sharing jokes such as, “Bosch out, Muthusamy in, Indian batters, beware the Tamil spin twist!”
There is warmth for him, but also a sharp edge of analysis. “Good all-rounder, but can he handle Kuldeep and Jadeja all day?” asked @DelhiDaredevil, echoing many who respect his ability yet still want to see a long run of success against India’s best. In Nagapattinam, his ancestral town, local clubs arranged viewing parties, and regional newspapers greeted him as “the homegrown spinner in foreign colours”. Clips of Kohli’s dismissal in Visakhapatnam surfaced again, with more than 50,000 likes and counting.
“He feels like one of our own, but when the match starts he is South Africa’s key man,” wrote @TamilCricketHub, summing up the mood. In a country where cricket blurs into daily life, his journey, from Durban childhood to star turns in Indian conditions, has struck a chord with many.
Senuran Muthusamy: WTC Points and Personal Legacy
On paper, this match might look like a dead rubber, yet in the World Test Championship table, it carries serious weight. South Africa’s 12 points from Kolkata move them closer to another appearance at the top, while India needs a win to steady things before the ODI leg of the tour. For Senuran Muthusamy, it is much more personal, a shot at turning strong domestic form into a permanent place in the national side.
By stumps on the opening day, the story had gained even more interest. South Africa closed on 247 for 6, steady but not safe, with Senuran Muthusamy unbeaten on 15 from 22 balls, nudging singles and defending with a calm head. The question now is whether his left-arm spin can tighten the screws when India bat, or whether Pant and company can swing the momentum back.
As the sun slipped behind the Brahmaputra and the air grew thick and warm, the second Test in Guwahati settled into a tense rhythm. In the dressing room, Senuran Muthusamy, the softly spoken all-rounder with Indian roots and South African colours, stood ready for whatever the next day might bring. The Proteas have runs on the board, but the deeper contest of skill, nerve, and patience has only just started.
