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India Ready for Tough Challenge as South Africa Arrive for Kolkata Test

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Kolkata
  • Nov 13, 2025
  • 564

The stage is set for an exciting contest as India take on World Test Champions South Africa in the first Test of the two-match series at the historic Eden Gardens from Friday. The encounter promises to be intense, with both teams entering the clash in strong form and with plenty at stake.

Indian captain Shubman Gill, speaking on the eve of the match, acknowledged the challenge that awaits his team.

“The match against the World Test Champions won’t be easy. There will be some tough moments, but we’ve handled them well,” Gill said on Thursday.

South Africa, led by Temba Bavuma, remain unbeaten under his captaincy — winning nine out of ten Tests, with one drawn. The Proteas clinched the World Test Championship title in June this year by defeating Australia and are looking to continue their dominant run.

Security Tightened Around Eden Gardens

The Kolkata Police have increased security measures in and around Eden Gardens following the recent blast in Delhi. The iconic venue will host a Test after six years — its last being the pink-ball day-night Test against Bangladesh in November 2019, which India won comfortably.

Historical Context

India and South Africa have shared a rich rivalry in Test cricket, having played 44 matches so far. South Africa hold a slight edge with 18 wins to India’s 16, while 10 have ended in draws.
However, South Africa haven’t beaten India on Indian soil since 2010. Since then, the hosts have dominated, winning seven of the eight matches, with one draw.
At home, India have played 19 Tests against the Proteas, winning 11 and losing 5, with 3 draws. Their last series meeting in South Africa (2023–24) ended in a 1–1 draw.

Form and Key Players

For India, captain Shubman Gill has been in exceptional form, scoring 979 runs in eight Tests this year, including five centuries. He needs just 21 more runs to reach the 1,000-run milestone for 2025.
Pacer Mohammed Siraj leads India’s bowling charts with 37 wickets this year.

Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed that wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who scored two centuries against South Africa A in Bengaluru last week, will feature in the playing XI. Nitish Reddy has been released from the squad to represent India A in the ongoing ODI series.

For the visitors, Wiaan Mulder has been the standout performer with the bat, including a triple century against Zimbabwe, while Keshav Maharaj remains the team’s leading wicket-taker with 19 wickets this year.

Eden Gardens Pitch and Conditions

According to curator Sujan Mukherjee, the Eden pitch will offer assistance to both batsmen and bowlers, with swing and seam movement expected over the first two days and turn from the third day onwards. November weather in Kolkata is expected to be cool and slightly humid, ideal for long spells of Test cricket.

Eden Gardens has hosted 42 Tests, of which 12 have been won by teams batting first, 10 by those bowling first, and 20 drawn. Of the three Tests between India and South Africa here, India have won two, while South Africa have won one.

A Symbolic Toss

A special silver coin featuring the images of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela will be used for the toss. The coin, created for this series, weighs 20 grams, is gold-coated, and carries the inscription “Freedom Trophy” on one side.
Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly said the coin represents the shared legacy of peace and resilience between the two nations.

With the crowd expected to fill the stands and both sides fielding strong line-ups, the Kolkata Test is set to deliver another memorable chapter in India–South Africa cricketing history.