Friday sees South Africa kick off its 2025 tour of India with a Test match in Kolkata. This is the first of two Tests as part of the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship, with the second next week in Guwahati.
This is a mixed tour featuring both red-ball and white-ball cricket. After the Tests, India will host the Proteas for three ODIs in early December. Five T20Is will follow the 50-over matches to conclude the tour, with the final one on December 19 in Ahmedabad.
Here is a look ahead at the contest.
India VS South Africa Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
India VS South Africa 1st Test Date: Friday, November 14 to Tuesday, November 18
India VS South Africa Odds:
History
India has not been a happy hunting ground for South Africa’s Test side. The Proteas last toured the subcontinent in the format in 2019, losing all three Tests.
The time before that was just as bleak. In 2015/16, India won a four-match Test series 3-0. Even the Test that was eventually rained out offered no respite, with India well on their way to winning that match before the weather intervened.
You have to go back to 2009 for the last time that South Africa won a Test in India. The two Test series ended in a tie, with South Africa taking the first Test by an innings and six runs. It was a dominant display, with HM Amla posting 253 not out as part of an innings that ended when South Africa declared on 558/6.
How the Proteas would love a batting performance like that this weekend.
India
The big news from the India camp is that all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was released from the squad for the first Test earlier this week. He will join the India A side, playing in ODIs against South Africa A, which runs through November 19.
This will allow the star to rejoin the squad for the second Test if needed, with a lack of game time in India’s last series in Australia given as part of the reason for the decision.
South Africa
This will be South Africa’s toughest tour this Test cycle. The hope is that this is an Indian team still in transition and that the Proteas will find the movement in the wickets quickly when they bowl.
Returning captain Temba Bavuma will likely take the spot of Dewald Brevis, with the majority of the team the same as the group that drew 1-1 in Pakistan earlier this month. That means Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada are leading with pace, as seam bowling on this wicket is unlikely to be the answer.
Best Bets
It has been six years since Eden Gardens last hosted a Test, so there will be some bedding-in to do. The toss will be massively important, and South Africa has had bad luck with the coin of late.
The change of venue from New Delhi due to air quality issues means fast bowling will play a greater role. India’s recent Tests have been played in spin-friendly dust bowls, but the bowling shift favors the Proteas. This is true even with the South African spinners excelling in Pakistan.
A bet I like is Shubman Gill to top score for India at 11/4. He smashed two centuries recently against England and has taken to the captaincy by upping his scoring.
