India take on South Africa in the first of two Tests on Friday, November 14, 2025, at the historic Eden Gardens in Calcutta. This stadium is often called the Mecca of Indian cricket, and the South Africans will be pleased to play here. The hosts come here on the back of a 2-1 win in a T20I series in Australia, and will not have much time to prepare for red-ball action. However, they have consistently shown that they can adapt to such challenges quickly and do not need much time to make subtle changes. Under captain Shubman Gill, India have become a side that thrives in Test cricket. In these conditions, they will have an edge over their opponents.
For South Africa, playing spin will be the biggest challenge in the subcontinent. And India are expected to play at least two, if not three, spinners in their XI. The visitors will have to get used to these conditions as quickly as possible and not allow their opponents to get ahead of them. South Africa have a lot of top-quality batters in their ranks, including captain Temba Bavuma, who have consistently shown that they can rise through the ranks with the use of footwork. If the South Africans apply themselves with the bat, they will be hard to break down.
India have the upper hand, but they need to answer some questions, especially in their bowling department. Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to be in the XI, but there might be a place for local lad Akash Deep too. However, if the latter is picked, a spinner will have to be sacrificed. A lot depends on the way the pitch is prepared at the Eden. Historically, this ground is known to assist swing in the first and third sessions owing to the gentle breeze blowing off the Hooghly River located close by. In the afternoon session, however, spinners have been known to come into their own.
Predicted Teams
IND: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav.
SA: Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer.
Key Players
Shubman Gill (IND): Ever since Shubman Gill was made India’s Test captain ahead of their tour of England earlier this year, he has hit a purple patch with the bat in hand. The batter is known for being technically correct and often gets into good positions quickly before playing his shots. Gill does not play across the line too much and allows each ball to come to him before defending or playing a shot. What works in his favour the most is that he plays most balls on their merit.
Aiden Markram (SA): South Africa have to bat well if they are to compete against India, and for that, Aiden Markram has to come out with flying colours. Markram is known for being a temperate batter who can handle pace and spin effectively. His expertise in the latter comes due to the years he has spent playing in the Indian Premier League. Markram, despite his tendency to play grounded shots, does not shy away from taking the aerial route if a situation demands it.
Match Prediction
India are outright favourites to win this game, especially since they are playing at home. They know these conditions extremely well and are expected to be on top of their opponents from the moment the first ball is bowled. South Africa may not have an answer to the challenges sent their way by the Indian spinners, and this can prove to be their undoing. However, their ‘A’ team was in India for a while preparing ahead of this series, and may have gained some experience. Nonetheless, the quality and experience in the Indian team is more than that of the defending World Test Champions.
