In the ongoing second and final Test against South Africa, Kuldeep Yadav surprised everyone with his batting performance at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, which seemed completely unexpected but was absolutely invaluable for India.
In a match where half the team was struggling to handle the Proteas attack, it was Kuldeep Yadav who stood firm and gave India the fight that the team desperately needed.
Kuldeep Yadav stuns Guwahati with gritty masterclass
While the final Test is almost over for India, the wrist spinner’s determination became one of the biggest talking points of the match in Guwahati. Kuldeep came in when the innings was collapsing and along with Washington Sundar (48) he gradually pulled India out of a deep slump.
Also read: Ravichandran Ashwin takes a dig at buzzball after England collapse inside 2 days in Perth
Kuldeep and Sundar made a brilliant partnership of 72 runs for the eighth wicket and it took 208 balls to do it. Kuldeep played the anchor role like a seasoned Test batsman, facing 134 balls for his 19 runs and hitting three fours at a time when wickets kept falling at the other end.
It was a stubborn, patient effort that forced the South African bowlers to work hard for every success. This is Kuldeep’s longest batting total in a Test innings so far, surpassing his previous effort of 28 off 131 balls against England in Ranchi in 2024.
Kuldeep Yadav left behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in terms of excellent batting in Tests.
Even though India were ultimately bowled out for 201 in reply to South Africa’s mammoth first innings score of 489 in the ongoing final Test, Kuldeep’s resistance was one of the few positive moments in a tough game in Guwahati on the third day.
What made the Indian wrist spinner’s performance even more astonishing was a new statistic that instantly started trending among fans. Since the Bangladesh tour in 2022, Kuldeep has faced more balls per dismissal than some of India’s biggest names in Test cricket.
Kuldeep’s average of balls per dismissal is now higher than Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Kuldeep’s average per dismissal is 64 balls, while Kohli’s average is 62, Pant’s 56, Shreyas’s 52, Rohit’s 50 and Nitish’s 49.
Also read: Gautam Gambhir was shocked after Washington Sundar was dismissed by Simon Harmer in Guwahati.
Kuldeep has been stronger than some of our batsmen in Test cricket.
Average balls faced per dismissal (since 2022 Bangladesh tour)
64-Kuldeep
62 – Kohli
56 – Pant
52-Shreyas
50 – Rohit
49- Nitish– Krishna Kumar (@KrishnaKRM) 24 November 2025
Kuldeep Yadav shines with rare 100-ball composure
Kuldeep Yadav’s innings also stands out for another big reason. In the current two-match Test series, only two Indian batsmen have managed to face more than 100 balls in a single innings. One of them was KL Rahul, who scored 39 runs off 119 balls in the first Test at Eden Gardens and the other is Kuldeep.
With this, the lower-order batsman is showing more patience and survival skills than some of India’s top batsmen, and that says a lot about Kuldeep’s discipline, but it also raises questions about India’s batting troubles in the longer formats of the game, and that too in home conditions.
Well, Marco Johnson dismissed Kuldeep on a fast and rising ball outside the off stump. The Indian spinner tried to defend it with the open bat, but the ball took the edge and flew swiftly towards second slip, where Aiden Markram completed a difficult catch to break that crucial partnership.
